Updated: March 8, 2015, 10:31 p.m.

The NCAA released its findings Friday of its investigation of Syracuse University. Here’s what is known:

Timeframe:

• 2001: Violations begin.
• 2007: SU self-reported possible violations within the athletics department.
• October 2014: SU officials meet with NCAA Committee on Infractions in Chicago.
• March 6, 2015: NCAA releases findings in 94-page report.
• Britton Banowsky, NCAA chief hearing officer and commissioner of Conference USA, said in a conference call that it’s “unacceptable to have cases drag on this long.”

Violations:

• Academic violations involve student-athletes receiving impermissible assistance from tutors and mentors.
• Computer data was used to uncover instances of improper academic benefits.
• The NCAA found that SU failed to comply with its own written drug policy.
• The NCAA said that SU had a “lack of control over its athletics program.”
• A full description of what violations SU committed, and which NCAA bylaws it violated, can be found in the “Analysis” section of the report. A breakdown of sections A-D can be found here, sections E-H found here and sections I-L found here.

Punishments include:

• SU will lose three men’s basketball scholarships for each of the next four years.
• Wins vacated from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
• Five years probation.
• Suspension of men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim for the first nine ACC games in 2015-16.

Reactions to the report:

• Chancellor Kent Syverud sent out a campus-wide email with his response to the NCAA’s findings.
• Syverud said SU, “respectfully disagrees with certain findings of the Committee” including the lack of institutional control, “or that Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jim Boeheim has taken actions that justify a finding that he was responsible for the rules violations.”
• Syverud addressed each significant violation in the email.
• Richard Thompson, chairman of SU’s Board of Trustees, also issued a statement, saying some of the NCAA’s rulings were “excessive.”
• Director of Athletics Daryl Gross issued a statement expressing SU’s disappointment with the NCAA’s findings.
• Jim Boeheim, head coach of the men’s basketball team, released a statement saying he is both relieved and disappointed following the release of the NCAA report.
• Jeff Cornish, the former YMCA of Oneida sports director who is repeatedly mentioned in the report as “the representative,” said in a statement that he disagreed with the way the NCAA characterized him.
• Former SU quarterback Perry Patterson said he was paid for work he did at the YMCA of Oneida.
• Current men’s basketball players reacted to the sanctions following the team’s season-ending loss to North Carolina State.
• Former SU guard Louie McCroskey discussed his reaction to the report and his experiences on the men’s basketball team from 2003-2006.
• Former SU basketball players Ryan Blackwell and Nolan Hart weighed in on the sanctions. Blackwell played for the team from 1997-2000, while Hart played from 2010-14.
• ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said he disagrees that the head coach should take all the blame for violations, and added that he thinks it’s possible for the men’s basketball program to overcome the punishments handed down by the NCAA.
• Members of Otto’s Army generally were upset about the NCAA sanctions, but some said it won’t affect student turnout at future games.

Self-imposed ban:

• SU self-imposed a one-year postseason ban, including the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, the National Invitational Tournament and the NCAA Tournament in early February.
• Banowsky said in the conference call that “(The Committee on Infractions) noted it and accepted it.”

Who is involved:

• The timeline of former SU guard Billy Edelin closely matches that of “student-athlete 1.”
• One of the cases of academic integrity issues involved “student-athlete 7,” whose timeline matches up with former SU center Fab Melo.
• “The representative,” who The Post-Standard identified as Jeff Cornish, provided impermissible benefits to athletics staff members and student-athletes.

Appeal:

• Syverud said in the email that SU is considering whether it will appeal certain parts of the NCAA’s decision.
• ESPN reported Friday afternoon that Boeheim will appeal part of the ruling. Syverud said that SU would support Boeheim if he chooses to appeal.
• A full breakdown of the members of the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee and what the appeals process involves can be found here.

Full report:

Official NCAA 94-page release

Syracuse Final Public Infractions Decision

Published on March 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306