<p>This sounds odd to me - going back in time and giving up past victories. Is this common and I just never heard of it before? </p>
<p>[College</a> Sports | Scandal costs Florida State victories in 10 sports](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2011011796_grid08.html]College”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2011011796_grid08.html)</p>
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<p>It is a common cure for the recruiting or academic cheating. The theory is if you had not cheated then you would not have won. So wins are taken away.</p>
<p>Makes much more sense than punishing the current student-athletes and coaching staffs. Oftentimes it seems those who get punished are those not involved in the violations. A perfect example of that is UMass and Memphis were both put on probation after violations occurred, but the head coach at the time is now at Kentucky without any kind of punishment. Also, one kid involved in the mess at Memphis is now in the NBA making big bucks! It just seems wrong to punish those not involved…</p>
<p>It isn’t a perfect system, but it is common.</p>
<p>This is nothing new, unfortunately. Vacating wins has also resulted in the loss of college championships as well as programs being put on probation going forward, which DOES affect the current student/athletes.</p>
<p>Like Parent2Noles said in another forum, FSU Football Coach left one step ahead of the sheriff, so to speak.</p>
<p>Yeah, it the remedy/justice for cheating isn’t ideal in college team sports. Years ago in basketball Villanova’s victories and NCAA finals appearance was expunged from the record because their star player, ONE PLAYER, had apparently hired an agent before the player’s college eligibilty was up. One player cost the whole team its achievement in the record book. Same thing at U of Memphis a couple of years ago, except the infraction in that situation was cheating on classwork, I believe. Same punishment; forfeit.</p>
<p>The problem with this particular execution of justice is that other schools in similar situations were not as harshly treated. Secondly, the entire matter was self-reported by FSU and they received no mercy at the penalty phase as they expected. Some alumni believe this was an added pound of flesh for beating the NCAA on the Seminole symbol issue, very publicly and widely covered in the press. </p>
<p>The message to others who detect a similar problem will be to quietly correct the problem and keep the NCAA in the dark. Hardly an example of integrity.</p>
<p>parent2noles - I think your point is a good one - the NCAA is hardly ever fair or consistent in its penalties. </p>
<p>But frankly, FSU has for years admitted athletes that have no business being in college. They are not alone in this - they are joined by many other schools - but it is a risky game, and warehousing athletes in family life and recreation majors alone doesn’t cut it - some of them can’t even survive that regimen without cutting corners. Obviously FSU has done well with some of their athletes - but how many Myron Rolle types are there each year? One, Two? That is the problem. </p>
<p>I understand this may sound harsh as to Florida State, but as a former competitive Div. 1 athlete who competed against and at FSU, it was clear that the focus placed on athletics there was disproportionate. Fly too close to the flame, and getting burned is a possibility.</p>
<p>mam1959 - as an FSU student in the late 80’s, I agree that there was an awful lot of discretion given to the coaches as far as admissions. As a parent of three sons, I now recognize the grave disservice that was done to these young men to have admitted them and pushed them through a university curriculum just so that the football/basketball team could extract their pound of flesh. An institution (college OR secondary school) does no favors to anybody by accepting students that can’t keep up with the academic course load.</p>