Ohio State University: Building Mount Everest Out of a Mole Hill

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was suspended 2 games and fined $250,000 by Ohio State University for suppressing information for 8 months regarding illegal benefits provided to 6 Buckeye football players.  The players, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, wideout DeVier Posey, defensive end Solomon Thomas and offensive lineman Mike Adams had sold memorabilia and/or autographs for cash and discounted tattoos from a Columbus tattoo parlor owner, Edward Rife.  The information regarding the illegal benefits. was first brought to the attention of Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith on December 7th, 2010 when the university was notified by federal officers who were trying to return the memorabilia.  The resultant scandal resulted in the NCAA levying 5 game suspensions for the players for the first 5 games of 2011, but in a controversial decision the players were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl.  Tressel was initially made aware of possible infractions in early April 2010 and failed to disclose e-mails regarding this issue until one month after the initiation of Ohio State and the NCAAs investigation into "Tattoo-gate."

Today, Tressel admitted to receiving information from an undisclosed source on April 2nd (e-mail 1) indicating that a federal raid had occurred at Ed Rife's home and that a large amount of Buckeye memorabilia was recovered.   It goes on to state that players have been taking signed memorabilia to Rife although it is unclear if they were paid.  The source also mentions that players might have received free tattoos.  In the post-script of the e-mail, the source mentions that Rife has been to jail in the past, witnessed a murder, and that the raid was related to drug trafficking.

In his statement today, Tressel statements regardings his reasons for failing to disclose this information to his athletic director, NCAA compliance officer, University attorneys included:

"I felt an obligation because I could feel in the e-mail the person had genuine concern for the well-being of our kids and for the gravity of a federal criminal drug trafficking ongoing investigation.  I guess I felt they were entrusting me to think that was important to keep that confidentiality(e-mail 2)."

"As we sit in homes (during recruiting), we talk about most especially we're going to take care of these young people and treat them like they're our own. Admittedly, I probably did not give quite as much thought to the potential NCAA part of things as I read it. My focus was on the well-being of the young people. Also in those e-mails it was very, very emphatic that with the nature of a federal investigation that there be confidentiality."

Tressel claimed that he did not know who to notify and then stated "I learned I probably needed to go to the top legal counsel person at the university .Now I've learned that most certainly."


"I've had a player murdered. I've had a player incarcerated. I've had a player get taken into the drug culture and lose his opportunity for a productive life. So it was obviously tremendously concerning. Quite honestly, I was scared, especially the fact that two of our current players were mentioned in the e-mails.

Tressel received information confirming the names of at least two current players involved in an e-mail dated June 1 (e-mail 3).  In his press conference, Tressel stated that he worried that sitting said players would generate a whole new set of questions and interfere with the federal investigation.

Commentary:
This latest information has turned  Tattoogate which was initially a somewhat underwhelming scandal (in the face of the Cam Newton/Cecil Newton pay-to-play and the Oregon Ducks recruiting service allegations) into a massive scandal which is irreparably damaging to the legacy of Jim Tressel. 

Early reports are suggesting that since Tressel knowingly played players that had committed significant NCAA rules infractions that the Buckeyes victories in 2010 could be forfeited.  This is most notable as it would reinstate the Buckeyes SEC bowl losing streak which dates back to the 1970s.

This scandal brings to light significant cultural issues at the Ohio State University.  Failure to report and adhere to NCAA standards occurred independantly at 3 distinct levels of the football program and athletic department in this case:
1) The players
2) Coach Tressel
3) Athletic Director Gene Smith-  Gene Smith, who assumed his role in 2005 in the midst of a series of 9 NCAA violations which led to Ohio State being placed on probation for 3 years in 2006, stated that players were not adequately notified of NCAA rules applicable to this case until 2009 (some of the sales of memorabilia occurred prior to this time).  While the 9 prior violations which included, a)booster payment of $500 dollars to Troy Smith, b)payment/loans to basketball players and recruits c)$13000 of complimentary dental work provided to members of the womens basketball team, occurred prior to Smith's arrival, it seems that the resultant probation which he oversaw should have increased educational efforts by his compliance staff with the players.  In my time at Ohio State, there were ads on the stadium scoreboard at football games from the compliance department instructing fans that giving money or things of value to student athletes violated NCAA rules.  But according to Smith, this same care was not taken with his athletes.

The player's 5 game suspension has always seemed a bit excessive to me.  However, I am sure that in the wake of Tressel's "obstruction of justice" any attempt at appeal will be rejected. 

The converse is that Tressel's 2 game suspension levied by Ohio State seems comically abbreviated.  While the actual "crime" committed by his players was relatively mild, the severe lack of judgement, failure to investigate and report, and propensity of evidence against Tressel in the case should result in a greater punishment for him.  In fact, his responsibility to report violations is underlined on his contract.  His subsequent failure to report this series of communication when "Tattoo-gate" went public in December will certainly be damaging in the court of public opinion.

If safety of his players was Tressel's only motivation for not levying punishments against players or notifying his superiors, why did Tressel not take action after June 1st when he was informed that there was a resolution in the case between the federal government and the drug trafficker.  Did he actually think that his source could recover the memorabilia and as a result cover up the infractions?

This will likely reshed light on Terrelle Pryor's history of moving violations in 3 different cars from a Columbus auto dealership while his car was reportedly in the shop.  OSU's compliance staff has previously determined that this was not an NCAA violation

I hope that the media gets Tressel to elaborate on what collateral he was referencing in his e-mail from June 1st.

Tressel's fine will be used to pay the Compliance Group- a company that assists athletic departments in dealing with the NCAA during investigations.  It seems that this money should be donated to the schools general scholarship fund and the Athletic department should use their own money to fund the investigation.  Trust me they can afford it.  In 2009-2010, Ohio State spent almost $ 8 million dollars more on their basketball program alone than their nearest competitor 

These events will again reignite the conversation started by Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers in 1988 regarding fair pay for college athletes in revenue generating sports.



sources of e-mails: Columbus Dispatch (http://www.dispatch.com/)