Ohio State Addresses NCAA Investigations

[Unklescott]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The NCAA notified The Ohio State University on Monday about nine allegations involving the football program and the men's and women's basketball programs, including cash gifts, improper academic assistance and failure to monitor the men's program.

Seven of the nine allegations involved the men's basketball team, including a $6,700 payment given by former head basketball coach Jim O'Brien to a basketball recruit, according to the list of allegations released by the university.

O'Brien was fired last June. The firing was one of several steps taken by the university to reduce further penalties from the NCAA, according to President Karen Holbrook. The other was a self-imposed post-season ban given to the team, NBC 4 reported.

The school must respond to the allegations by July. A hearing will then be held in September or October.

List Of NCAA Allegations

According to the list of allegations, O'Brien agreed to provide recruit Alex Radojevic $6,700 to assist the recruit's family in Yugoslavia.

The NCAA discovered a representative of the school's athletic interests had improper in-person contacts and provided recruiting inducements to Radojevic and former Ohio State player Boban Savovic. The person is believed to be Dan Roslovic, who allegedly paid for nanny Kathleen Salyers to house former Ohio State player Boban Savovic.

Ohio State reported Salyers had improper in-person contacts and provided Radojevic with free lodging and meals at her Gahanna home. She also allegedly gave Radojevic about $170, bought him a meal and offered him the use of her credit card. The investigation also revealed Salyers provided Radojevic with free lodging, meals and clothes late in 1998 and at the start of 1999.

The allegations included Roslovic allegedly providing Savovic lodging and other expenses during the 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2001-01 and 2001-02 academic years and Savovic having some papers prepared for school credit by someone else during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 academic years.

The university also reported O'Brien provided two season tickets for four straight men's basketball seasons to Salyers.

The NCAA said O'Brien refused to provide home telephone and financial records, as requested by the enforcement staff during the investigation.

Former men's basketball assistant coach Paul Biancardi violated NCAA rules, according to the investigation, including knowing about the payment and recruiting inducements to Radojevic.

The NCAA also said O'Brien demonstrated a failure to monitor the conduct and administration of the men's basketball team from July 1998 to May 2002.

One allegation of the women's basketball team was reported by Ohio State, involving Columbus resident Ronald Erkis providing cost-free or discounted orthodontic treatment to five players.

The final allegation in the report involved a $500 payment made to quarterback Troy Smith by former booster Robert Q. Baker. Smith received the payment in May 2004, and was later suspended from the team's appearance in December's Alamo Bowl for receiving the payment. The university also suspended Smith for the Buckeyes' first game of the 2005 season against Miami University.

The university later sanctioned Baker.

The NCAA did not find any wrongdoing by the university regarding former tailback Maurice Clarett's claims in a national publication.

"I am pleased there were no new football allegations in the letter received today from the NCAA, but that will not change our passion to continue to educate our coaches, student-athletes and boosters in the area of compliance," head coach Jim Tressel said. "We know compliance is job one, and we take it very seriously.

"We have always believed in our intentions and we understand the importance of representing Ohio State at the very highest level in terms of integrity," Tressel said.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he would be surprised if more allegations against the football team came to light.

"Typically, when they have all their findings, then they submit the notice of allegations, and everything they looked into up to that point, they've dismissed," Smith said. "Does that mean that something else can pop up during the summertime? Sure, but at this point in time, the allegation that we have for football is before you."
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So it appears that all of the allegations by Clarett have not been substantiated. Now the athletic program has to weather the storm over the basketball program wrongdoings. Our AD at the time, Andy Geiger has "retired" early. Imagine that.

[Bill]

I think the big problem with the Clarett accusations is that he refused to cooperate with the NCAA investigators. They had a big discussion on it on The Dan Patrick show including the reporter who did the Clarett interview.

Apparently Clarett and many "others" are now refusing to talk. I wonder why...

[did_it_again]

I think the reason Clarett and other do not want to cooperate could be the culture of the "hook up". These types pf payments have been going on for decades and they will continue to take place . No one wants to be portryad as being a snitch .
In Claretts case he felt burned when he was suspended and he was painted as the bad guy ,but now he's been drafetd so he may be willing to move on so to speak and I'm certain he has been advised to keep his mouth shut because these types of cases don't do well for an athletes marketability in terms endorsements.

[Unklescott]

OSU Running Back Cited For Drug Possession
Haw Was Redshirted In 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State running back Erik Haw was cited by university police Wednesday night for possession of marijuana, according to head coach Jim Tressel.

According to police and court records, an Ohio State police officer said he saw Haw and two other men outside the Baker Hall dormitory just after 7 p.m. As the officer approached, he said Haw dropped something from his left hand. Haw then walked to the police cruiser, and that's when the officer said he smelled an odor of marijuana, NBC 4's Nancy Burton reported.

The officer then asked Haw if what he dropped was a "blunt." The officer said Haw nodded his head in an affirmative manner. The officer said he found a marijuana cigarette.

"I am disappointed to hear about the situation with Erik," Tressel said in a news release while attending Big Ten meetings in Chicago. "As soon as I get back to town and learn all the details, we will deal with it in an appropriate manner.

"Anytime one of our student-athletes does something that is inappropriate, it is very discouraging," Tressel said.

Haw, a redshirt freshman from Columbus, carried the ball 16 times in the Spring Game for 86 yards and a touchdown.

The university said Haw, who attended Independence High School, will be required to enter a management and education training program and will undergo frequent evaluation, monitoring and testing by the department's management team.

Haw is scheduled to appear in court May 27. If convicted, the maximum penalty is $100.

Haw's former coach at Independence High School said that if the incident did happen, Haw would learn from the small mistake and move on, Burton reported.

Tressel suspended kicker Jonathan Skeete a week ago after he was arrested on a warrant for trafficking marijuana.

University police filed a complaint alleging that on Feb. 11, Skeete tried to sell just under 200 grams of marijuana, NBC 4's Teresa Garcia reported.

Skeete was taken into custody on an arrest warrant at his Baker Hall residence on campus.

Skeete, a freshman from Gahanna, was redshirted in 2004.
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They better go back to artificial turf at OSU. If they keep the real grass the players will either be trying to sell it or smoke it.

[did_it_again]

Tressel suspended kicker Jonathan Skeete a week ago after he was arrested on a warrant for trafficking marijuana.
University police filed a complaint alleging that on Feb. 11, Skeete tried to sell just under 200 grams of marijuana, NBC 4's Teresa Garcia reported.

So he was trying to sell roughly 7 ounces of weed....that's the kind of stuff one sells to their boys for some pocket money. Not that that I advocate such behavior because I don't ,but he ain't no Tony Montana "Say 'ello to my little friend!"
Unfortunately for him he's a kicker and kickers get no respect so he has to make due; whereas if he was a high profile player he would have been hooked up financially by some boosters.


How sweet is it that the dorrmitory where Haw and Skeete got busted for weed is named Baker Hall