BATON ROUGE, LA – OCTOBER 25: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Mississippi Rebels reacts to a call during the game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

After the NCAA charged the Ole Miss Rebels football program for a lack of institutional control, the school decided to self-impose a postseason ban for the upcoming season.

In addition, Ole Miss is going to forfeit any postseason revenue which could cost a pretty penny. Ole Miss finished last season with a 5-7 record so there was a chance that the Rebels probably wasn’t going to go to a bowl game next season anyway. It was probably a reason why they decided to self-impose the ban. But at the same time, Ole Miss will lose out on their share of revenue from other SEC teams in bowl games, and that could result in a forfeiture of $7 million.

The lack of institutional control charge from the NCAA was a result of eight potential violations against Ole Miss. Despite the self-ban, Ole Miss is contesting the violations set by the NCAA citing a lack of evidence. Potential violations include the following:

 

– Prospective student-athlete went hunting on private land owned by booster, arranged by football program (Level III)

 

– Former staff member arranged for lodging and transportation for prospective student-athlete enrolled at another institution (Level I)

 

– Same former staff member knowingly committed recruiting violations and provided false information to enforcement staff (Level I)

 

– Same former staff member initiated and facilitated two boosters having contact with a recruit (Level I)

 

– A different former staff member arranged for friend of a recruit and two recruits to receive merchandise from a store owned by a booster amounting to $2,800 (Level I)

 

– Freeze had impermissible in-person, off-campus contact with a recruit (Level III)

 

– Booster provided money, food and drinks to a recruit and his companions at booster-owned restaurant on two to three occasions (Level I)

 

– Freeze violated head coach responsibility legislation

 

– Scope and nature of violations demonstrate university lacked institutional control and failed to monitor conduct and administration of athletics program (Level I)

Most allegations revolve around things done among prospective players and boosters, which is illegal. Most people, myself included, complain about the NCAA when they don’t want to pay the players but then issue violations for programs when they are simply giving a player a place to stay, give them something to eat, give them a ride if they don’t have a car or give them a little bit of cash if they’re light.

But allegations like what Ole Miss is facing is why those are rules in the first place. It’s one thing for a coach to give one of their players $20 to get something to eat because they can’t afford to eat. Trust me, violations be damned, I’m doing the same thing. But it’s another thing to take a recruit on a hunting trip that’s hosted by a booster.

[College Football Talk]

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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