As most people know, back in late January, the NCAA announced that the University of Missouri would be receiving a one year postseason ban for their football, baseball and softball programs. The NCAA imposed the ban because of academic dishonesty that was happening with a former tutor and student athletes in these three programs. The tutor completed academic work for student athletes and even completed a whole course for a football player.
The University has been in an appeal process with the NCAA since the ban was announced. In a release from Mizzou athletic director Jim Sterk, he said, “The Committee on Infractions has abused its discretion in applying penalties in this case, and the University will immediately appeal this decision that has placed unfair penalties on our department and programs.”
Sterk also said that once the issues were brought to the University’s attention, they fully cooperated with the NCAA enforcement staff to investigate the allegations. Along with the postseason ban, the football program would receive a 5% scholarship reduction, a seven-week ban on unofficial visits, and a 12.5% reduction on official visits.
Even with all these punishments that will come to the program, It’s time for the school to drop their appeal and comply with the infractions the NCAA has decided to imply.
I know, I know, weird to suggest a team should just give in to possibly harsh punishments, but there are more reasons to take the ban this season, then to possibly have to serve it this year.
It’s no secret that this has been a disappointing season so far for the Tigers with Barry Odom at the helm for his 4th season with former Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant. The Tigers are currently 5-3 which is not horrible by any means, but as a team that was expected to be a top team in the SEC, the team has under-performed. All three losses have come from three horrible road losses to 6-2 Wyoming, 2-6 Vanderbilt, and 4-4 Kentucky. All teams that the Tigers should’ve handled with ease. With a schedule coming up with games @ 6th ranked Georgia, home against 10th ranked Florida, home against Tennessee, and @ Arkansas, there is a chance the Tigers could lose at not be bowl eligible anyways. Even with how bad Arkansas has been, the game is in Fayetville and the Tigers have yet to win an away game this season. Mizzou could end up not being bowl eligible while the appeal is still going on, lose the appeal, then have the ban applied to the 2020 season. This would be a disastrous situation for the University that would have Tiger fans everywhere confused and upset.
Another reason why the Tigers should take the ban is that if they finish with another mediocre season, Barry Odom could be on his way out. The Tigers finished the season ranked for the first time in Odom’s three years at head coach, but the team has taken a step back this season with what seems to be a much better roster with veterans like Kelly Bryant, Larry Rountree III and Cale Garrett. If the University is in a position where firing Odom is the best choice for the University, having a one year bowl ban in 2020 will be a dark cloud over the program that will surely turn away any marquee replacement candidates including any standout Group of 5 coaches like Memphis’s Mike Norvell, Wyoming’s Craig Bohl, and Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz.
Now the ban would also affect the softball and baseball programs, but from a business perspective, it makes more sense to put the needs of the football program ahead of the needs of the softball and baseball programs. The football team makes more money for the school by a wide margin and is the team the school is most known for when it comes to college sports.
In a season where the Tigers have taken a step back and fallen deeper into a state of mediocrity, it would be smart for the University to accept the NCAA’s decisions and start planning for the future. There’s no chance the Tigers even make a New Year’s Six bowl so why risk losing out on a more successful season next year? Sacrificing the future for the present would be something the University would surely regret. It’s time for the University to own up to their mistakes and recognize that the negative possibilities outweigh the positive possibilities.
