NCAA to release ruling on Alabama

A year and a half after uncovering potential rules violations in its “student-athlete textbook distribution system,” the University of Alabama has received a ruling from the NCAA and it is expected to be announced publicly today, according to several media outlets.

Tidesports.com, citing unnamed university officials, reported that sanctions will include at least 10 vacated football victories from the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The NCAA is required to notify the school of its ruling at least 24 hours before formally releasing results. Alabama, according to both the Mobile Press-Register and the Birmingham News, received the letter of notification Wednesday. School officials are not allowed to publicly comment on the case until the NCAA announcement. The university had not set a press conference on Wednesday night.

The NCAA was notified of potential violations on Oct. 19, 2007 after the school’s compliance office uncovered them.

Five football players, including three starters, were declared ineligible the night before a home game a day later. The five — center Antoine Caldwell, running back Glen Coffee, offensive guard Marlon Davis, cornerback Marquis Johnson and cornerback Chris Rogers — were eventually suspended for four games before being reinstated by the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference.

After an investigation by school officials, Alabama self-reported its findings to the NCAA. The NCAA determined that Alabama failed “to adequately monitor its student-athlete textbook distribution system” and provided “extra benefits” to athletes. Both charges are considered potentially major violations by the NCAA.

According to the Birmingham News, about 200 student-athletes were involved in the textbook violations over several years, covering multiple sports. Track and field and football have been the most prominent sports mentioned, though school officials have not released info on other sports, other than football.

Alabama representatives met Feb. 20 with the NCAA Committee of Infractions to answer the allegations.

The problems, according to documents, reportedly began in the 2005-06 academic year, a time when Alabama was still in the midst of a five-year probationary period that started in 2002. As a result, the Tide could face stiffer penalties from the NCAA.