Jim Boeheim Receives 9-Game Suspension From NCAA

The NCAA imposed a nine-game suspension on Syracuse Orange head men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim for infractions the team committed over an eight-year span. In addidtion, the NCAA imposed ordered the program to forfeit a total of 12 scholarships.

The NCAA has come down hard on Syracuse Orange head men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim and his program. 

According to a March 8 update from Syracuse.com’s John O’Brien, the NCAA suspended Boeheim for nine games and ordered his program to forfeit a total of 12 scholarships for infractions it committed over an eight-year span. 

The 12 scholarships lost is the total Syrcause basketball will lose during a four-year period. That means it loses three scholarships every year, per O’Brien.

In addition, the Syracuse.com update also says the NCAA also placed both the basketball and football prorgrams on five-year probation. Furthermore, it ordered Syracuse to give back the its share of revenue from the former Big East Conference when it made NCAA tournament appearances from 2011-13. 

A March 8 ESPN report says the NCAA has also ordered Syracuse men’s basketball to vacate its wins where ineligible players took part from 2004-07 and 2010-12. The NCAA ordered the same infraction on Syracuse football for the period from 2004-06. 

“I’m not going anywhere.”

An emotional Jim Boeheim talks for first time since NCAA sanctions. http://t.co/9DH9hk5ofH pic.twitter.com/ZEt4QDVnuI— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) March 9, 2015

O’Brien interviewed Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud, who said the university might appeal. He said,”The university is considering whether it will appeal certain portions for the decision. Coach Boeheim /4/choose to appeal the portions of the decision that impact him personally. Should he decide to do so, we would support him in this step.”

The NCAA criticized the Syracuse head men’s basketball coach in the statement O’Brien obtained. It reads,”During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement.”

The NCAA traced Syracuse’s infractions to 2001, when the school first failed to impose its own policies on student-athletes who tested positive for banned substances. This went on until 2009. In spite of the presence of the university’s written policy, both Boeheim and Syracuse athletics director Daryl Gross confessed to not following it, per O’Brien. 

Aside from this, the university also committed academic misconduct, asked for extra benefits and allowed improper booster activity, per the ESPN report. 

What’s more is the NCAA accepted the self-imposed tournament ban Syracuse has imposed on itself. However, O’Brien stresses the NCAA will not reduce Syracuse’s other penalties “because (they) occurred after the hearing in front of the committee on infractions.”

For his part, an emotional Boeheim told Syracuse.com’s Nate Mink and 700 other Orange fans at a Hardwood Club dinner on Sunday about “the battle ahead of us,” referring to the one with the NCAA. Boehim, who has been at Syrcause since 1962, told the crowd on hand he’s “not going anywhere.” 

Listen to Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim get choked up talking about ‘battle ahead’ with NCAA (audio): http://t.co/25hM6VO1Oe— Syracuse Basketball (@syrbasketball) March 9, 2015

In a statement ESPN obtained, Boeheim admitted to the violations in his program:

“Initially, I would like to express relief that the NCAA’s unparalleled eight-year investigation of the University and the Men’s Basketball Porgram is finally over. As I expressed at the Committee on Infractions Hearing, I acknowledge that violations occurred within the Men’s Basketball Program, and as Head Coach of the Program, I take those violations very seriously.

“That being said, I am disappointed with many of the findings and conclusions as stated in the Infractions Report. The Committee chose to ignore the efforts to which I have undertaken over the past 37 years to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the Men’s Basketball Program. Instead they chose to focus on the rogue and secretive actions of a former employee of the local YMCA and my former Director of Basketball Operations in order to impose an unprecedented series upon the University and the Men’s Basketball Program.”

The ESPN report states the NCAA did not require Syrcause to forfeit its 2003 national championship in men’s basketball. 

Some of Syracuse’s higher-ups reportedly ordered Boeheim not to speak with the media after the Orange’s 71-57 loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on March 7, per Syracuse.com’s Brent Axe. Instead, assistant men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins did so in Boeheim’s absence. 

Boeheim has been the Orange’s head coach since 1976. He has amassed a 966-333 (.744) win-loss record during that span, per Sports-Reference.com. 

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