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Notice of Allegations Against North Carolina Tar Heels Posted

By Daniel Tran

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After reports surfaced of impermissible benefits being given to student-athletes that played for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the NCAA posted their official Notice of Allegations against the university.

Like so many schemes, scams, and rackets that have occurred in the past, it was only a matter of time before the NCAA discovered the latest indication that education is not a top priority at some of their schools. This time, one of their top universities is at the center of the scandal.

The University of North Carolina was handed a Notice of Allegations by the NCAA, outlining lists of documents that support the claims that the UNC has given thousands of student athletes impermissible benefits in order to stay academically eligible to play their sports. The 791-page document includes 325 exhibits that show university administrators knowingly participating in the scam that spanned nine years from 2002-2011. The University North Carolina has 90 days to respond.

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The main allegations centers around the University of North Carolina’s African and Afro-American Studies department, which provided students with low standard classes under the guise of being university-level courses. Athletes who were failing to meet NCAA academic requirements to maintain eligibility where assigned to these classes where there was a lack of attendance conditions, minimal faculty instruction, extremely lenient grading, and high grades given that did not reflect the quality of work turned in.

“We take the allegations the NCAA made about past conduct very seriously,” Chancellor Carol L. Folt and Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a joint statement. “This is the next step in a defined process, and we are a long way from reaching a conclusion. We will respond to the notice using facts and evidence to present a full picture of our case. Although we may identify some instances in the NCAA’s notice where we agree and others where we do not, we are committed to continue pursuing a fair and just outcome for Carolina.”

Though it is basically known that student-athletes at major Division I schools, especially in football and basketball, are given the advantage of leniency in terms of their academics, it is still shocking to see how long and institutionalized the whole process had become. North Carolina just happened to be a school that got caught, but it would not be outrageous to say that they are not the only school to participate in such a scheme.

The investigation and the impending trial have already scared off some recruits fearing for their opportunity to play meaningful games at the university. Class of 2016 five-star basketball recruit Jayson Tatum was considering the North Carolina, Duke, and St. Louis University before he dropped his list to two schools.

He would not say which school he dropped from his list, but his concerns over the investigation of the Tar Heels speak volumes about which schools remain in the race for his talents. It is not hard to see why it would happen taking into consideration the allegations being lobbed at North Carolina.

Of the five Level I violations that the NCAA alleges, the lack of institutional control is the most dangerous one. Using the evidence cited in the support of sustained academic misconduct in the first two allegations, the NCAA stated that there is enough proof to show that the violations threaten the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Model. The most severe punishment handed out for substantiating a lack of institutional control is the suspension of all athletic activity for at least one year.

This may be just one step in a long investigation, but the road is dubious for the North Carolina Tar Heels. The depth of the evidence against them is staggering, which would suggest they going to be facing punishment of some sort. The extent of those punishments is unknown at this point.

Next: Indiana Hoosiers get Michigan Transfer Max Bielfeldt

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