Alabama to appeal NCAA sanctions

The University of Alabama, which turned itself in to the NCAA for widespread violations in its textbook distribution program, will appeal the sanctions that resulted from the case.

Last Thursday the NCAA Committee on Infractions hit Alabama with:

Public reprimand and censure;

Three years of probation through June 10, 2012;

The vacation of 21 football victories from 2005 to 2007;

A fine of $43,900.

No scholarship reductions or postseason or TV bans were imposed.

Alabama’s investigation discovered more than 200 student-athletes in 16 athletic programs received what the NCAA deemed were “impermissible benefits” through the textbook distribution program. Most of those benefits went to “unintentional violators,” meaning the recipients didn’t know they were breaking rules. But seven football players were among 22 “intentional violators.”

The sanctions were viewed by some as comparatively mild, since Alabama’s infractions came while the school was under a “repeat offender” window, which subjected the school to severe sanctions for any wrongdoing.

The school’s “repeat offender” window is extended two more years to 2014 as a result of last week’s sanctions. Alabama has appeared before the Committee on Infractions four times since 1995 — three times for football-related issues.

However, university president Dr. Robert E. Witt clearly felt Alabama’s punishment didn’t fit its crime.

“We are in the process of preparing our Notice of Appeal and will file it prior to the 15-day deadline (June 26),” Witt said in a statement released by the university on Wednesday.

The appeal can not lead to further NCAA trouble. The appeal will be heard by a different committee, although the Committee on Infractions will respond to Alabama’s arguments.

“We appreciate that the Committee recognized the isolated nature of this violation as well as UA’s immediate and aggressive actions to correct the situation as soon as we discovered the problem,” Witt said in his statement.

“However, we are disappointed with the excessiveness of the sanctions in view of the facts of this case and the penalties in other textbook infractions cases.”

Witt’s statement echoed what he and athletics director Mal Moore said in Tuscaloosa last Thursday when the sanctions were announced.
“There is no evidence or allegations of other NCAA violations; no coaches or administrators were involved; no players obtained books and sold them for cash, and all the books were returned or charged to the student’s account as required by the UA textbook policy in effect at that time,” the statement read.

“... The University of Alabama remains committed to doing things the right way, and we will continue to work with the NCAA and the SEC as we focus on strict compliance with all NCAA regulations.”

Schedule update: In other UA football-related news Wednesday, Alabama will open the 2010 season at home against San Jose State.

That will come a week before the previously announced game against Penn State, also at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Those will be the two games following a two-year renovation project to the south end zone of the stadium which will bring the capacity over 100,000.

“We look forward to opening the new Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2010 with San Jose State,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “There will be a great deal of excitement surrounding the new stadium as we start the year with back-to-back games against San Jose State and Penn State. Dick Tomey is one of the great coaches in college football and then we follow that up with the winningest coach in the game when Joe Paterno comes in the next week.”

Tomey is going into his fifth season at San Jose State. He is fourth among active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches with 181 victories — behind Paterno, Bobby Bowden at Florida State and Mack Brown at Texas.

Alabama’s 2010 nonconference games are set. The Crimson Tide will also play at Duke on Sept. 18 and host Georgia State on Nov. 20.

Linebackers lauded: Alabama’s linebacker corps is rated the best in college football by the Sporting News.

Writer Matt Hayes has picked his top five units at every position in the next issue, which will hit newsstands this week.

Rolando McClain and Dont’a Hightower were rated higher than Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma and North Carolina.

“(McClain) needs to affect other people on the defense in a positive way,” Saban told SN. “It’s something we’re lacking from a leadership standpoint. Can he be that guy? Can he make that impact on others?”