FTR, I don’t believe they will get the death penalty. However, I’d like to discuss the possible ramifications if they did.
What would happen to OSU short and long term? Would their football program be dead for 30 years like SMU’s?
Also, what would happen to the Big 10, especially since OSU is one of the conferences crown jewels in their TV package?
I also don’t believe the DP is imminent. The allegations, so far, are not ones that gave them an undue competitive advantage on the field.
Short term, they would be merely a mediocre football team. Wins wouldn’t be important anyway since the DP precludes bowl eligibility. The administration can focus on building an ethical program, then worry about the talent once scholarship reductions and any recruiting restrictions are lifted.
Long term, once the sanctions end and they get back up to full scholarships and start aggressively recruiting again, they will again be a monster. They have the money, support, recruiting credibility, facilities and personnel to quickly rebuild. SMU was never a top tier program, even when they had Eric Dickerson. Unlike SMU, OSU has the resources to weather a DP with little lingering effects.
Games involving OSU will lose some luster. Not only will OSU be less competitive, but they won’t be involved in any BCS or Big Ten Championship games late in the season with Wisconsin, Michigan St., Michigan, Penn St., or Nebraska. That will certainly hurt interest in those games. Consequently, The Big Ten will not be able to adequately market games involving OSU, their perennial bread winner.
The death penalty isn’t even on the table. To be subject to the death penalty, you have to commit repeated violations while already under penalty or probation from prior violations. OSU is not currently under sanctions. Now, if they get 3 years of scholarship reductions, 5 years on probation, and a two-year post season ban (my guess at what’s going to happen) and then it turns out that in 2013 some of the same stuff occurs again, THEN they might have to be concerned about the death penalty.
You don’t necessarily have to be under sanctions, only recently sanctioned. I believe it’s within five years after being sanctioned for serious infractions, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same sport committing the violation. The golf team could be on probation for serious infractions, and if football commits a major infraction within five years, they are eligible for the DP. If the NCAA found the football team’s violations egregious enough, they don’t necessarily need the “repeat offender” standing.
Anyway, it was a “What if?” scenario, not “Do you think OSU is going to get the DP?”
I highly doubt they will ever levy the death penalty against a D-1 football team ever again.
Agreed. It’s too much of a crushing blow. Though there’s no way OSU and The Big Ten would fold like SMU and The Southwest Conference.