Get ready to reimburse those FAMU tickets

[Knight_Dive]

Could FAMU get the death penalty?

Florida A&M will report "well over 200" violations by the athletic department to the NCAA and recommend scholarship cuts in every sport after a nearly three-year internal investigation.

The announcement Thursday comes just days after football coach

Billy Joe was fired for purported recruiting and eligibility

violations. The school's findings were forwarded to the NCAA

earlier this week, with a list of recommended restrictions, sports

information director Alvin Hollins said.

"We're cutting scholarships in virtually every sport. At least

one will be cut in every sport, some will have more than one cut,"

Hollins told The Associated Press. "Some sports will definitely

have some restrictions in recruiting. We're also making some severe

cuts in our operating budget."

The NCAA is still in the midst of its own investigation of

Florida A&M, and a ruling on the infractions and any restrictions

is expected this fall.

Among the violations announced by the school in a release

Thursday were: Ineligible athletes allowed to compete, improper

conduct of coaches concerning a change of grade, recruiting

violations and violations of practice time rules.

"We could be looking at multiple years of probation," said

Hollins, who added that the school may be forced to refund money

from NCAA basketball tournament appearances.

The investigation was the continuation of the one that showed

196 NCAA rules violations throughout Florida A&M's athletics

program and led to the school stripping itself of 11 conference

titles, including two in football.

Hollins said that was the midpoint of the school's

investigation, and the school feels that the number of violations

is now "well over 200."

"Compliance and academic support, our failure to upgrade those

areas, led to a lot of the problems we have had. ... We just didn't

have the proper institutional control," Hollins said.

Joe was one of the school's most successful coaches.

"I think in his case this was a direct result of recruiting

violations, exceeding practice times ... violations of NCAA rules

were definitely the dynamic in moving Coach Joe," Hollins said.

"We held him accountable for the program. You can't afford to look

like you're just slapping people on the wrists."

The football program has had a series of problems, beginning

when it made an ill-advised attempt to jump to Division I-A. The

move was aborted and the school will return to the I-AA Mid-Eastern

Athletic Conference this season.

"The timing probably couldn't be any worse," Hollins said.

Financially, athletic programs are struggling and the department

budget was cut 20 percent last year.

More cuts are probably likely, Hollins said.

"We were at least $3 million over budget last year, and based

on the income projection it's not looking like we're going to

balance the budget," he said.

[Sir Robert Peel]

With the money problems, I feel bad for the band.  There may very well not be a band (at least as it was in the past) from here on out.  

[Ricky the Bull]

Unless the NCAA hands them the death penalty, I don't see where they can afford NOT to play.

The only issue we would have would be if they would have enough self- and NCAA-mandated scholarship cuts that they would not count toward a bowl.

[TripleB]

Unless the NCAA hands them the death penalty, I don't see where they can afford NOT to play.

The only issue we would have would be if they would have enough self- and NCAA-mandated scholarship cuts that they would not count toward a bowl.

I really don't think we should worry about them counting towards a bowl this year. If they can't field a team, still pay them to have the band come and play an intra-squad game with the FAMU band at the half. It would still be the highest attended game of the year.

[sdgukhsdgl]

paragraphs and spacing are your friend....

and didnt FAMU get in trouble with the NCAA not too long ago or are they finally concluding the investigation and this has just been known for a while

[TripleB]

paragraphs and spacing are your friend....

Without going into too much detail, just consider the source .....  :

[Cubanbull]

LOL!!! here they come.

First off FAMU will not get the death sentence at least NOT this year since the NCAA knows it would put all their opponents in a bind at a late date.

Second they are reducing # of scholarships BUT the NCAA uses an avg over a certain number of years, i believe is four.

Thirdly since they need as much money as possible they know its their band that wil draw most of the crowd for our game so they wont be cutting them.

Its amazing how you guys cant wait to bring negative news concerning USF.

[Knight_Dive]

Ask SMU about the death penalty.  FAMU has committed over 300 violations in a little over a year.  If FAMU does not get the death penalty, than no one ever will.

[___ Eats It]

Ask SMU about the death penalty.  FAMU has committed over 300 violations in a little over a year.  If FAMU does not get the death penalty, than no one ever will.

Poor SMU.  One minute they're challenging for national titles, the next minute they're stuck in a **** conference with UCF.

I guess they are dead, for all intents and purposes.

[DawgPound]

Minute as in 20 year difference?  It's been a long time since the glory days at SMU and their fall from grace.  Alabama barely avoided a similar fate a couple of years ago.