Sanctions

Letter To Ole Miss Fan

kippBy: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

My oldest daughter Alexia is an avid Ole Miss fan. I dedicate this article to my loving daughter. The NCAA released a list of new allegations alleged committed by Ole Miss. Here is the bulleted list:

A prospective student-athlete went hunting near campus on private land owned by a booster during his official visit in 2013 and on two or three occasions after he enrolled, and that the access to this land was arranged by the football program.

  • A former staff member impermissibly arranged lodging and transportation for a prospective student-athlete and his companions while providing impermissible transportation to another prospective student-athlete. The total value is alleged to be $2,272. The football program has also been alleged of giving $235 in free meals to a prospective student-athlete.
  • Former staff member violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when committing violations and when providing false information to the institution and enforcement staff.
  • Former staff member initiated and facilitated two boosters that gave impermissible cash payments to a prospective student-athlete of anywhere between $13,000 to $15,600.
  • Former staff member arranged for a friend of a prospective student-athlete’s family to get impermissible merchandise, valued at approximately $2,800. The school will contest.
  • Head coach Hugh Freeze had impermissible, in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete.
  • A booster provided money, food and drinks to a prospective student-athlete at a value between $200 and $600. The school will contest.
  • Head coach Hugh Freeze violated head coach responsibility legislation. The school will contest
  • The school lacked institutional control and failed to monitor the conduct and administration of its athletics program. The school will contest.

In response to these allegations Ole Miss imposed the following penalties on itself:

Ole Miss has self-imposed a one-year ban from the postseason and will forfeit its share of the SEC postseason football revenue for this upcoming year, which is expected to be somewhere in the range of $7-8 million.

Who did not see this dumpster fire coming in Oxford? When the dreaded lack of institutional control charge is thrown out there then usually more sanctions are coming.

Does Ole Miss really think the NCAA is going to accept these self-imposed sanctions and just turn the other cheek? I can see loss of scholarships on the horizon. And this one year bowl ban? I thought Ole Miss served that last year? My bad they went 5-7.

Flashback to September 24th, 2016. My oldest daughter and her friend Caroline take an SEC road trip to Oxford for the Georgia game. Dad is having his best day of 2016 on River Street in Savannah watching the game in a local tavern and the texts start coming from oldest daughter when Ole Miss starts blowing out my Dawgs.

Dad knew UGA was in trouble that day, and I did make the comment that sanctions were coming and you better enjoy this while you can.

I knew Ole Miss was on borrowed time back in September so what did I do, I shook it off and shopped in a store my oldest daughter loves and sat and enjoyed a lovely day in the oak filled squares in downtown Savannah and did not buy her a single thing.

The NCAA is about to rent every available office in Oxford, Mississippi to investigate the Ole Miss Football program. Welcome back to the status you have grown accustomed to since Johnny Vaught retired Rebel fans and that is the status of a bottom feeder.

Did I mention how much I love River Street and Downtown Savannah? The ride home on 95 South that day was magical. I was still getting scoreboard shot texts from first born child.

What does Hotty Toddy mean anyway? Does it mean NCAA probation?

As for you oldest Ole Miss fan daughter, I think I’ll take your baby sister shopping this weekend. She loves the Georgia Bulldogs, and you love NCAA sanctions. Have a great day!

Hotty Toddy,

Dad