Miami Hurricanes Docked Nine Scholarships, No Additional Bowl Ban. So Not the Death Penalty

The NCAA has ruled on the Miami/Nevin Shapiro case, finally. Multiple outlets are reporting the Hurricanes’ football program will be docked nine scholarships over the next three years. After self-imposing a two-year postseason ban, Miami will not face additional postseason penalties. They will be eligible for the 2013 bowl season. Not quite the ‘Death Penalty’ some – including the Wall Street Journal – wondered about.

According to the AP, the NCAA substantiated $173,330 from Nevin Shapiro’s claims of millions in extra benefits. Vince Wilfork and Antrel Rolle received $90,000 of the benefits. This is also the NCAA doing the calculating, the same organization that found DeVier Posey to have been overpaid $728 for a summer job instead of $3.07 because it did not understand how cell phone towers work.

Miami missed two bowl games, an ACC title shot and has dealt with an NCAA noose for three years. That, and the loss of nine scholarships, seems sufficient punishment. That’s not factoring in the NCAA trying to extort testimony, trying to use bankruptcy hearings to obtain testimony and helping a convicted fraud artist get a reduced prison sentence.

The school probably would have accepted a similar deal months ago. One wonders why the NCAA dragged this out, when a quick settlement would have benefited both parties.

Former Miami basketball coach Frank Haith – now at Missouri – has been suspended for the first five games of this year. Former assistant basketball coach Jorge Fernandez will receiver a 2-year show cause penalty.

[Photo via Getty]