NCAA Violations At Oregon Could Have Major Impact On The Pac-12

Dec 2, 2011; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks cornerback Avery Patterson (31) coach Chip Kelly (center) and running back LaMichael James pose with the championship trophy after the Pac-12 Championship game against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Oregon defeated UCLA 49-31. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

KATU TV in Portland, Ore. broke the news late Monday night that the university athletic department agrees that “major” NCAA violations at Oregon occurred.

Former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, now with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, issued a statement via Philly.com.

“While at Oregon, I know we were fully cooperative with all aspects of the investigation and I will continue to contribute in any way that I can,” Kelly said, adding he will not comment until an NCAA decision is rendered.

The NCAA will not comment, either, per the Associated Press. But Oregon has suggested a voluntary, two-year probation and three-year scholarship reduction.

A report obtained by KATU says “underlying major violations coupled with failure to monitor violations involving the head coach” were uncovered. The NCAA began investigating the Oregon Ducks football program in 2011 when Kelly and staff were connected with Willie Lyles. Oregon paid Lyles’ Texas-based recruiting service $25,000 for material. Lyles was connected to Texas recruits LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk in what the summary calls an “impermissible” relationship.

The report adds, however: “There is no information in the record that Lyles coerced or directed any prospect to ultimately choose Oregon,” a key point to battle against any substantial sanctions.

James was a breakout star for Oregon during its run of three straight Pac-10/12 Conference championships from 2009 through 2011, and a Heisman finalist in 2010. Seastrunk shifted course as the NCAA flap began and remained in the Lone Star State. He begins his third season with the Baylor Bears as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.

Even without Seastrunk or Kelly, the 2013 Ducks are preseason favorites to compete for both the Pac-12 and national championship. New head coach Mark Helfrich inherits a roster that includes Marcus Mariota, statistically the best quarterback in the conference, and explosive running back De’Anthony Thomas. The Oregon defense features such noteworthy talents as Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Taylor Hart.

While the report clears Oregon of the dreaded “lack of institutional control,” how the 2013 (and beyond) Ducks are impacted has profound implications for West Coast college football. The report still outlines a litany of charges while adding, “the violations were not isolated in nature.”

Should the NCAA act on these “major violations” before the season, the dynamic of the Pac-12 completes shifts. Not only has Oregon won three of the conference’s last four championships, the Ducks are the only program aside from the juggernaut USC Trojans teams of the mid-2000s to compete for BCS championships since the Washington Huskies of the early 1990s.
April 13, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw instructs his team after the Cardinal
If Oregon’s removed from the equation, reigning champion Stanford is the greatest beneficiary. The Cardinal upended Oregon at home last November to claim the Pac-12 North, then it defeated the South division-winning UCLA Bruins in the league championship game. Dual threat quarterback Kevin Hogan returns for his first, full season leading the Stanford offense.

Meanwhile, both Washington and the Oregon State Beavers return experienced rosters coming off bowl appearances. Each team features some of the conference’s best talent — Washington with running back Bishop Sankey and wide receiver Kasen Williams, Oregon State with Scott Crichton and Brandin Cooks.

The Huskies and Beavers could see upward mobility should Oregon face stiff sanctions, akin to UCLA’s ascent in the South coinciding with USC’s recent penalties.

In this hypothetical scenario, the Pac-12 would need one of its members to replicate Oregon’s success to maintain the league’s national profile. USC fading from the spotlight could have had a much more negative impact on the conference had UO not become a championship contender. In the last three seasons, the Pac-12 has sent two teams to BCS bowls. That means greater revenue for the entire league, as well as more impressive stature in the college football landscape.

Any NCAA movement against Oregon is purely speculative at this juncture. College sports’ governing body is battling a severe image problem amid several high profile and poorly handled cases. The University of Miami’s offensive against the NCAA sets an interesting precedent for other programs facing severe penalties.

Further, the significance of removing lack of institutional control can not be overstated. This has become the NCAA’s recent catch-all infraction when doling out severe punishments. It was at the crux of Penn State’s historic sanctions, handed down last summer. Lack of institutional control was also the underlining charge against USC. The USC case should also serve as warning of the NCAA seeking retribution too haphazardly.