College Football

NCAA announces no bowl ban for Miami, minor scholarship losses

Miami's long tangle with the NCAA is just about finished, and the Canes are going bowling in 2013.

By Nam Le@AGuyNamedNam Oct 22, 2013, 9:09am EDT

Update: This is official. The NCAA found Miami lacked institutional control, detailing its findings in its 102-page release. In addition to the scholarship and coaching sanctions below, Miami will also be placed on probation for three years. Also, we learn Miami self-imposed recruiting sanctions on itself last year. Bud Elliott has more on the effects of the sanctions. They're effectively nil.

The NCAA will announce the results of its investigation into Miami's football program on Tuesday, penalizing the Hurricanes nine scholarships and potentially other sanctions, according to local and national reports. However, the Canes will be able to return to the postseason after giving up trips in two straight years. Miami will reportedly not appeal, meaning this story is essentially done.

The NCAA's full announcement will be released at 10 a.m. ET, but that's what we know for now.

Miami will lose 9 scholarships, but will not receive a bowl ban source tells @schadjoe. 1st reported by WQAM in Miami
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) October 22, 2013

Bruce Feldman reports those scholarships will be docked three per year over the next three seasons, meaning Miami will play with 82 scholarship players. Additionally, a few coaches will be personally impacted, including Missouri's head basketball coach:

Former Miami coach Frank Haith will be suspended for 5 games by the NCAA, sources told ESPN. Miami football does NOT receive bowl ban.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) October 22, 2013

Former Miami asst Jorge Fernandez hit with 2-year show cause, sources told ESPN. Another ex-asst, Jake Morton, does NOT get show-cause.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) October 22, 2013

Part of NCAA ruling: Former UM football coaches Clint Hurtt & Aubrey Hill get 2yr show cause penalties.
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) October 22, 2013

A show-cause essentially prevents a coach from taking a coaching job for a set amount of time.

More: Miami fans, visit State of the U

This closes a long, winding two-year investigation that began in March 2011, according to NCAA president Mark Emmert. In an August 2011 report by Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports would detail the dealings and claims of Hurricane booster Nevin Shapiro, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for running a $930 million Ponzi scheme. Shapiro allegedly used some of that money to provide impermissible benefits to the Miami football program.

Following the NCAA's announcement of an investigation, eight players from that 2011 Miami team were suspended, and 12 were found to have received illegal benefits. Defensive end Olivier Vernon saw the biggest punishment, sitting out six games in total.

Shapiro was accused of paying out $170,000 to various members of the program, although according to Shapiro himself, the number was much higher than that. In addition to this, Shapiro allegedly paid or provided impermissible benefits to 72 more former Hurricanes, with the intent of eventually signing them once they went pro. These benefits were alleged to include -- but were not limited to -- cash, prostitutes, pay-for-play rewards, travel, and -- if one claim is to be believed -- money specifically for an abortion.

Antrel Rolle and Vince Wilfork were among the Hurricanes that eventually signed with Shapiro's Axcess Sports agency.

Shapiro's alleged services did not just go toward players alone, however. Several coaches were alleged to have received benefits as well, including former Hurricane assistant and current Louisville defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt, former Hurricane basketball head coach Frank Haith, basketball assistants Jake Morton and Jorge Fernandez, and former Hurricane receivers coach Aubrey Hill.

Many of the claims Shapiro made could not be verified or tied to concrete evidence, however, such as the one about him receiving inside information from the coaching staff for gambling purposes.

The NCAA has made its own share of missteps in this case, at one point working with Shapiro's lawyers to depose witnesses -- essentially interviewing them out of court and under oath -- on their behalf. This resulted in the NCAA firing its own vice president of enforcement.

All of this was eventually brought to trial on June 13th this year, and the NCAA took until Tuesday (which happened to be five days after the Canes reached bowl eligibility for 2013) to officially announce its findings and ruling.

Amid everything, the Hurricanes have voluntarily given up two bowl berths and an ACC Championship trip, a move that was meant to gain leniency from the NCAA. Miami has also reportedly given up scholarships as well, although no number has been publicly given -- a source cited by the Miami Herald puts the number at five. [Note: this report was inaccurate, according to the NCAA's release.]