FSU, Bobby Bowden deserve wins back after NCAA ruling on UNC

FSU watched as the NCAA slapped the wrist of their ACC counterparts for an offense that was much more widespread than what took place with the Seminoles.

Like most fans, players and administrators from across the college sport world, FSU was watching to see what would happen to the University of North Carolina as the NCAA was set to rule last Friday on a widespread cheating scandal involving thousands of students – including athletes from multiple teams – that had taken place for nearly two decades.

The massive punishment for years of allowing reportedly over 1,500 athletes take a scam course in order to get a passing grade? No punishment for the school and two “show cause” penalties placed on people who were involved with it.

The argument from the NCAA in their decision was essentially that because the course was available to all students and not just made specifically to help athletes at the school, the Tar Heels could not be punished. Okay, if that is the rule from the governing body, I’ll go along with it.

Meanwhile, FSU is sitting here still dealing with the stigma of having wins vacated for their own academic cheating scandal from 2006 in which a total of 61 athletes received improper help with an online course and a test of a psychology course – a scandal that at the time, the NCAA committee called “extremely serious” due to the number of athletes involved.

Ahh…so 61 players is extremely serious but 1,500 over an 18 year period (which averages out to over 83 a year) is nothing to punish at all?

At the time, FSU officials said that as soon as they found out about the scandal, players were punished right away. The NCAA at the time said that wasn’t good enough while acknowledging that the Seminoles played ball with the governing body:

"“I must say that Florida State did a great job in cooperating with the enforcement staff in accumulating all of the information that was required,” said Dennis Thomas, the vice chair of the NCAA Committee on Infractions and acting chair in the case. “Yes, Florida State did self-report. They did an outstanding job. We have to give Florida State University credit for that.”"

Why were the two former UNC officials penalized? Because they “failed to cooperate during the investigation.” Once again, the NCAA strikes again with a double standard and no actual leadership when it comes to making a decision.

This is an organization that has now given the green light essentially to one of the most widespread cases of cheating ever (which also giving back wins to former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, who may have knowingly hid sexual abuse on young boys by a former assistant), but is still punishing FSU and former head coach Bobby Bowden for something that was contained and dealt with.

According to the NCAA, 12 wins from the 2006 and 2007 football seasons – as well as an Emerald Bowl appearance and win against UCLA – do not exist, but national titles won by North Carolina and hundreds of wins by Paterno do?

If the “leadership” of college sports’ governing body had half a brain, they would realize the double standard when it comes to this and change something – but we won’t be holding our breath on that one. I get that the argument is FSU athletes were the only ones getting special treatment in their case – but the NCAA lost all credibility in not punishing UNC for virtually the same thing.

It’s almost as if Florida State University would have been better off having one non-student athlete cheat back in 2006 so the NCAA would have looked the other way. That’s the message the governing body sent last week with their ruling.

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No matter what the NCAA wants to say, FSU fans know that Bowden won 389 games during his career and the Seminoles are riding a 35 seasons bowl streak into this season. After the hypocrisy from this most recent ruling, it would be smart for the NCAA to realize that as well.