According to KATU in Portland, the station received documents stating that both the University and the NCAA enforcement committee agreed that the school committed a series of “major violations” between 2008 and 2011.
Now the question becomes, what does this mean for the future of the Oregon football program? The simple answer, while not very fulfilling is, no one really knows.
The documents that KATU were able to receive are from September of last year so in a sense they are now outdated as the NCAA has made numerous changes in policy since that time.
What we do know though is the list of violations that the University and the NCAA committee agreed on back in September. The most glaring violation is that the University paid for a recruiting service headed by Willy Lyles which is a violation of NCAA rules. Willy Lyles is a name that should be quite familiar to Duck fans, as his name was at the center of the initial violations brought up against Oregon.
What is important to note while reading the report is that it is clearly stated that during the investigation there was “no finding of lack of institutional control and no finding of unethical conduct.” This is good news for Oregon fans, because had the committee found this to be the case, much stiffer penalties would be all but certain for the athletic program.
Another key takeaway from this recently acquired report is that the tone throughout implies the University and athletic department has been cooperative and compliant throughout the investigation process.
The report has now been seen and dissected by numerous sources, so what next? According to KATU, a plea deal between the NCAA and University was unable to be reached back in December so the school will bring its case to be heard by the NCAA committee on infractions. What will happen at this meeting, expected in spring, is anyones guess.
While the news broken by this report is by no means good news, it is not quite time for the Oregon faithful to start fearing a multiple year bowl ban or vacated victories.
What this report is, is a snapshot of how the NCAA was thinking back in September and it appears as though it is time to play the waiting game to see how the rest of this story will unfold.