Breaking down the proposed NCAA changes

Many people aren't aware that the NCAA is in meetings that will make huge changes to the way it enforces its rules.  In January they released information an Enforcement Working Group was created after last August's presidential retreat and was tasked with "creating a tiered violation structure, new penalty procedures, a reformed process for adjudication and a reformed process that is fair while supporting the collegiate model the organization is looking to uphold."

This is matrix was the result.

• Level I: Most egregious - A violation that seriously undermines or threatens the integrity of any of the NCAA enduring values (student-athlete success, the collegiate model, amateurism as a student model, competitive equity), including any violation that provides or is intended to provide a significant or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage, or significant or extensive impermissible benefit. Multiple Level II, III and/or IV violations may collectively be considered a Level I violation. Individual conduct that is unethical may be classified as a Level I violation, even if the underlying institutional violations are not considered Level I.

• Level II: Serious - A violation that provides or is intended to provide a minimal to significant recruiting, competitive or other advantage; or includes a minimal to significant impermissible benefit; or involves a pattern of systemic violations in a particular area. Multiple Level III and/or Level IV violations may collectively be considered a Level II violation. Some limited individual conduct that is unethical or dishonest may be classified as a Level II violation, even if the underlying institutional violations are not considered Level II.

• Level III: Those violations currently categorized as secondary violations - A violation that is isolated or limited in nature; provides no more than a minimal recruiting, competitive or other advantage; and does not include more than a minimal impermissible benefit. Multiple Level IV violations may collectively be considered a Level III violation.

• Level IV: Minor or technical issues that do not rise to the level of a serious violation - An issue that is an action/inaction that is inadvertent and isolated; limited or technical in nature; and results in a negligible, if any, recruiting, competitive or other advantage of negligible, if any, impermissible benefit. Level IV issues will not impact eligibility.

Level 3 and Level 4 violations happen in all organizations and the lack of these is actually evidence of a control system that isn't robust.  For examples you can read this article where Ohio State reported to the NCAA all the secondary violations they incurred since last June.

Level 1 and 2 violations are what everyone is concerned about since that effects a team.  The reason for this change is in the past they really only had a few ill defined categories and they wanted a more defined penalty structure.  They haven't really classified the difference between the two but my guess is that a Level 1 violation is a Loss of Institutional Control/Failure to Monitor while Level 2 would include the lesser violations.  I'm sure this will solidify as they develop the system.

The question that this brings up is how would this effect cases like the ones that happened in the past like North Carolina, South Carolina, LSU, Ohio State, and USC. (I'm really simplifying the summaries - they are all much more complex than my statement)

• North Carolina - Tutors taking tests and numerous coaches/players with illegal contact with an agent.  Failure to Monitor given - Level 1 Presumptive
• NC would have gotten a 1% fine, a 1 year bowl ban, and scholarship reduction of between 11 and 21 players.  They got a 1 year bowl ban and a 9 scholarship reduction taken over 3 years.

• South Carolina - Paying for players to stay at a hotel on campus - Level 2 Aggravation
• South Carolina would have gotten a 0-.5% fine, no bowl ban, and scholarship reduction of between 0 and 11 players.  They received a $18,500 fine and a reduction of 6 scholarships over 2 seasons.

• LSU - Illegal contact with player - Level 2 Presumptive
• LSU would have gotten a fine of 0.-.25%, no bowl ban, and a scholarship reduction of between 0 and  5 players.  They got no bowl ban and a loss of 2 scholarships.

• Ohio State - Players selling awards for cash, coach withholding information, booster giving improper benefits. Failure to Monitor - Level 1 Presumptive
• OSU would have gotten a 1% fine ($300,000), a 1 year bowl ban, and scholarship reduction of between 11 and 21 players.  They got a 1 year bowl ban and a 9 scholarship reduction taken over 3 years.

• USC - Loss of Institutional Control in regards to Reggie Bush and Reggie Mayo. - Level 1 Aggravation
• USC would have gotten hit with a fine of 1-2% of program revenue, a 1-2 year bowl ban, and a reduction of between 21 and 32 scholarships.  They got hit with a 2 year bowl ban and lost 30 scholarships.

• Miami FL - Shapiro = Total loss of control? - Level 1 Significant?
• Miami FL will be interesting as I can't see how they could avoid the highest level.  That would give them a 1.5-2.5% fine, a 2-3+ year bowl ban, and a reduction of between 32 and 42 scholarships.

The biggest difference between these rules and the ones previously is it clearly defines what you can expect for the various levels.  It also gives the NCAA a way to better delineate between penalties as their current system has no metrics.¹  These penalties have been increased though one point of clarification is whether the scholarship reductions are by year or in total.  I'm pretty confident it is in total as you'd need to kick kids out of college to meet a 42 scholarship reduction but some articles seem to feel it is annual.

The NCAA is meeting in May to finalize this but hopefully it will streamline the process and take a lot of the guesswork out of the penalty phase.

¹ - I'm not fond of the significant, aggravation, presumptive, etc. titles.  Give the level a secondary letter grade and it will be easier to understand - For instance, Miami would have a 1A violation while LSU got a 2B.