Boise State isn’t going down without a fight.
Two weeks after being handed down a (strangely) severe punishment by the NCAA for past wrongdoing, officials at Boise State said on Tuesday they would appeal the decision in hopes that the most severe sanctions–including the loss of practice time and scholarships–might be reduced.
Though Boise’s self-imposed sanctions were pretty tough in their own right (the school took away three scholarships and three preseason practices in both 2011 and 2012), the NCAA in their finding went even further, extending the penalties through 2013. The NCAA also put Boise on three years’ probation.
In the wake of that announcement, Boise coach Chris Petersen admitted that eh was “disappointed” in their severity. His bosses apparently agree, and will now undertake the difficult and ridiculously complicated appeals process, in which they will attempt to convince the NCAA that, for example, the penalties went too far, or that the NCAA’s findings were “contrary to the evidence.”
Unfortunately, the school’s chances of succeeding here seem rather slim.
Though the infractions committed by Boise were rather, um, minor, they were indeed fractions, and there indeed were many of them. In that sense, it seems to be a fairly straightforward case. Which is to say, Boise may not be the worst offender in college football today, but they are an offender nonetheless. And once you break the rules, you’ve gotta pay the price.
Whether it’s fair or not.
Photo: Boise State will appeal its NCAA sanctions. But it faces an uphill battle. ()
