Saturday, October 29, 2011

North Carolina officials appear before NCAA infractions committee

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

A ruling on whether the school's self-imposed sanctions for violations by the Tar Heels football program are enough for the school to avoid further punishment is expected in eight to 12 weeks.

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Dick Baddour

North Carolina Athletic Director Dick Baddour appeared at an NCAA infractions committee hearing in Indianapolis on Friday. (Michael Conroy / Associated Press / 28)

Associated Press
The uncertainty that has engulfed the North Carolina football program for 15 months is nearing an end.

North Carolina officials appeared before an NCAA infractions committee Friday at Indianapolis. The school already has imposed penalties after an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct, which led to the firing of coach Butch Davis and prompted the looming early exit of Athletic Director Dick Baddour.

The committee is expected to make a ruling in eight to 12 weeks.

"It's not resolved, but absolutely, we feel relieved," Baddour said. "We felt prepared for today, and so while I think our team had some anxiety, I think what was rewarding was that we found that we were prepared."

The 71/2 -hour hearing was to determine whether North Carolina's self-imposed penalties ? including vacated wins and scholarship reductions ? will be enough to avoid further punishment.

The school announced last month that it would vacate all 16 wins from 2008 and 2009, reduce nine scholarships over three years, put its football program on probation for two years and pay a $50,000 fine. Fourteen players sat out at least one game and seven were forced to sit out an entire season ? with four of those declared permanently ineligible or dismissed from the team.

Chancellor Holden Thorp doesn't expect further sanctions.

"Of course I'm anxious to hear the response of the committee, but I'm not overly worried," he said. "I think we had a good opportunity to make our case. I think our response was very clear. I think what they were looking for was clear."

The NCAA sent a notice of allegations to North Carolina in June outlining nine violations. It accused former associate head coach John Blake of providing "false and misleading information" to NCAA investigators and the school regarding his relationship with NFL agent Gary Wichard, who died in March.

Paterno has shot to break Robinson's record

A victory against Illinois on Saturday at State College, Pa., would give Penn State Coach Joe Paterno his 409th victory, breaking a tie with Grambling State's Eddie Robinson for most wins among NCAA Division I coaches. Only John Gagliardi, still active at Division III St. John's (Minn.), has more with 481.

"All I wanted to do was ? hopefully have a little luck and have a little fun doing it. I've been lucky enough to be around some great athletes," Paterno, 84, said, Thursday night in a taped question-and-answer segment for the team's weekly radio show.

"The fact that we've won a lot of games is that the good Lord kept me healthy, not because I'm better than anybody else. It's because I've been around a lot longer than anybody else."

In 46 seasons as the Nittany Lions' coach, Paterno's resume includes two national titles, a record 24 bowl wins and 547 games (and counting).
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