NCAA will announce Tech findings at 3 p.m.; Cooperation an issue; Thomas, Burnett deny involvement
The NCAA will announce the results of an investigation into alleged violations committed by Georgia Tech’s football program at 3 p.m. today.
The alleged violations occurred within the past several years. The NCAA considers the violations, which included improper benefits, minor. However, Tech allegedly didn’t cooperate with the investigators as enthusiastically as the NCAA would have liked. A phone conference is scheduled with Dennis Thomas, the chair of the NCAA’s infractions committee, at 3 p.m. Georgia Tech President Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson and Athletic Director Dan Radakovich will hold a press conference at 4:30 p.m.
At issue for Tech is that after receiving penalties for the 2005 and ‘06 seasons for infractions that occurred in the 1990s, the NCAA said that if Tech commits another major infraction before Nov. 17, 2010, it will be subject to added penalties as a repeat violator. Colleague Mark Bradley (@markbradleyajc) just tweeted, “I’m told nobody is getting fired, but Georgia Tech people are bracing themselves for a big hit from the NCAA.”
Demaryius Thomas, a wide receiver and first-round pick in the 2010 draft, denied a blog report that he is one of the reasons for the investigation. In a text message, Thomas said he was offered things by people not affiliated with Tech, but never accepted. Morgan Burnett, a safety and third-round pick, also denied the report, texting that he “did not knowingly or unknowingly receive any gifts from any agents … These reports are baseless and false.”
Thomas and Burnett signed with Tech when Chan Gailey was the coach. Paul Johnson, who led Tech to the ACC title in 2009, was hired after Gailey was fired by Radakovich after the 2007 season after five years at the helm.
If there are immediate penalties, it would be the second time within five years the Jackets have been punished.
Tech learned in 2003 that it had been misapplying an NCAA eligibility rule and worked with the NCAA to investigate the nature and results of the error. They learned that 17 athletes, including 11 football players, who were academically ineligible were allowed to compete during the 1998 and ‘99 seasons.
As a result, Georgia Tech was on a two-year probation that resulted in self-imposed scholarship cuts (from 85 to 79) and a reduction in signing classes (from 25 to no more than 19) in 2005 and 2006. In addition to those penalties, the NCAA infractions committee added a limit of 79 total football scholarships for the 2006 and 2007 teams, six below the normal maximum.
The infractions committee also recommended that Tech vacate wins from seasons, 1998-2002, plus 2004, which were all winning seasons that ended in bowl trips. Tech appealed and the NCAA appeals committee agreed, allowing the results of those seasons to stand.
The NCAA has been in what appears to be a testy mood regarding alleged violations and lack of cooperation in wake of scandals at Ohio State, Southern California and North Carolina, among other places. The Trojans were forced by the NCAA to forfeit their 2004 national championship and the Buckeyes voluntarily forfeited 12 wins and their 2010 Sugar Bowl victory in an attempt to appease the infractions committee. Penalties against North Carolina’s program haven’t been announced. However, numerous players were suspended for all or parts of last season.
Please keep checking back for news.
– Doug Roberson, AJC. Follow on twitter @ajcgatech
Here’s a step-by-step guide to NCAA investigations.
Here are some stories about Tech’s previous NCAA issues.
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478 comments Add your comment
Topp Dogg
July 14th, 2011
10:54 am
Same sex marrage can now be held at the newindoor practice facility on the flats,ACC says although its not normal it is more entertaining than football at GT.
DawgDog
July 14th, 2011
10:54 am
Now this explains the high level of the football program …. success comes at a price.
DawginLex
July 14th, 2011
10:55 am
George
Put a big hole in the top of the bag and breathe. Things aren’t that bad
BTW, I blew diet Coke out of my nostrils reading your post.
It Appears
July 14th, 2011
10:55 am
It appears this involves contact with an agent they are both gone and there were small gifts accepted from the agent. GT had no knowledge of this and they are both gone.
JB
July 14th, 2011
10:55 am
Good one Tom………..only about 10 more to go….Maybe the Trailer one will be next…..
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
10:55 am
Buzzzzz, it’s the other GT fans here. Hi. GO away. Stop posting under a different handle everyday. No one cares to see the same cut-and-paste everyday.
Big time?? Not
July 14th, 2011
10:56 am
How can I not respond???
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes Just never gets old.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 14th, 2011
10:56 am
We just know the truth that CU had 5 downs.
And everybody else knows the truth.
Tech played nobody that year and thats why they were VERY VERY undeserving.
They were not even close to the best team in the country and Colorado would have wiped the field up with Tech only playing with 3 downs.
George Stein
July 14th, 2011
10:56 am
I wouldn’t, JB. I have no interest in getting into a urinating contest on that stuff.
I fully understand that Yellow Fuzz and St Simons and plenty of other folks here would do it. But there are some of us actually are reasonable people who happen to love college football more than anything else in the world.
Mirk Racht
July 14th, 2011
10:57 am
It’s true that Georgia Tech can’t consistently compete with UGA’s thugs and morons, but Tech players don’t end up pushing shopping carts or sweeping floors like UGA players after Mark Richt dumps them when their eligibility is up.
That’s just one of those inconvenient truths for dawgtards.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
July 14th, 2011
10:57 am
The announcement will come as a surprise to no one who knows the trouble I’ve seen as a temporary mascot at UGA. I am going over to Tech. They are going to paint a stinger on my butt and I will be on the sidelines at all their games. It’s the right thing to do. My heart is no longer in Athens with all the running backs gone.
Jacket Man
July 14th, 2011
10:57 am
“PerimeterCenterJacket;” I guess we’ll find out soon…I’ve got my fingers crossed. What I’m not sure of is how the NCAA was notified (did GA Tech find out and immediately tell them instead of how Ohio State handled their mess) and if there were any other peripheral issues involved that would kick this up because of the previous problems.
JB
July 14th, 2011
10:57 am
” GT had No knowledge of this”………..See, you can learn from Auburn……………And this throws out the window the Saying, ” if you ain’t cheat’n, you aint try’n”.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
10:58 am
Nebraska doesn’t think so. They played us both. Who won bigger? Oh yeah…the team you’d hate to admit might have been the best team in the country that year…
Please
July 14th, 2011
10:58 am
For God’s sake, please don’t make us vacate any of the wins over UGA! There’s been so few, please don’t take them away!
DawginLex
July 14th, 2011
10:58 am
Buzzzz-your post is # 17 on the UGA bash list
Mirk Racht- Your post is # 24 on the list
Just reference the numbers next time
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
11:01 am
JacketMan, I’d expect that lying is no part of this. I’d want us to clean house immediately if so. Our coaches preach a straight-shooter mentality, and honesty is just part of that. I’d hate to see that fall.
George Stein
July 14th, 2011
11:01 am
Ah yes, the Wal-Mart line. Thanks for keeping track, Lex.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 14th, 2011
11:01 am
the team you’d hate to admit might have been the best team in the country that year…
If you believe that your a fool.
That team had literally no NFL level talent. Good team that looked great due to an extremely easy schedule.
Thats the bottom line and you know it.
JB
July 14th, 2011
11:02 am
George, I will admit, you are one of the Tech folks on here with class. We have crossed paths before, and you’ve always been respectful………My rants are just reaction to vile we hear from a few of yours on a daily basis. Good luck with this.
Tech Wrecker
July 14th, 2011
11:02 am
Tech used William Bell that year in 1990 when winning the share. Bell would later be suspended for the ‘91 season for selling text books. You really think the was eligible in ‘90? Please Ross new then he was ineligible wanted to win. So while Colorado got 5 downs, Tech used a player who sold free text books…..
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
11:02 am
Do I? Or do I think we’re arguing over a title which doesn’t really matter in terms of the original question about who has more? Don’t like this most recent one? We have 3 more to toss out there.
Jacket Man
July 14th, 2011
11:04 am
Hopefully this will turn out like A.J. Green when he had his issue at UGA and sat out those games. They didn’t have any penalties assessed against the University/Athletic program.
gcs
July 14th, 2011
11:04 am
I used to think that the “Death Penalty” for a football program will never happen again. However, with all the outrageous scandals going on at Ohio State, Southern Cal, UNC, Oregon, Auburn, etc., we might just see another one.
.
George Stein
July 14th, 2011
11:05 am
I get it, JB. They get old and tiring.
It would be really nice if we could have a discussion about whether yalls offensive line will be OK or if our defense will be anything more than atrocious.
JB
July 14th, 2011
11:05 am
Jacket Man…and also remember Richt sat him out of the first game without hearing from the NCAA.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
11:06 am
I’d be good with that. You said it was someone off in the NFL when they committed these. Do you think it was someone like BayBay or Dwyer? I’m personally hoping it was before that – Michael Johnson or Phillip Wheeler – so that 2009 season doesn’t get messed with. The 7 win seasons before that I could do without.
techfan
July 14th, 2011
11:08 am
If we did something major then throw the book at us. Im all for harsh punishment even if it is my team. The more likely scenario though is that we did something minor and will still get hit harder then OSU or Oregon.
JB
July 14th, 2011
11:08 am
This will be nothing. It will be something that may cost a couple of scholarships for a year or two.
This came out of left field. Not much to it. See you in November.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 14th, 2011
11:08 am
We have 3 more to toss out there.
Yeah, When the players were wearing leather helmets.
LOL
BTW If we counted them like Bama and Tech do we would have 5.
1927,1942,1946,1968 and 1980 somebody ( UPI ???? lol ) named us national champion.
Doug Roberson
July 14th, 2011
11:09 am
GT officials will talk at 4:30 p.m. today
The Truth
July 14th, 2011
11:12 am
I’ve been asking on this site for weeks when the GT beat writer “Ken the Cheerleader” was going to file an Open Records Request with the GTAA for records and correspondence realted to the NCAA. If he had been doing his job as a journalist instead of so busy writing puff pieces and promoting GT like some silly 12 yr old this may have been known sooner.
St. Richt
July 14th, 2011
11:12 am
the GT NC team had no NFL-level talent? Really?? Coleman Rudolph, William Bell, David Hendrix, Ken Swilling, Willie Clay, Mike Mooney, Scott Sisson and Marco Coleman were all NFL talent. You can’t hide stupid with that comment.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
11:12 am
Ok well that’s just downright unprovable then isn’t it? The general rule is that a MAJORITY of the services names you a champion (when discussing this up until the AP and UPI became the frontrunners)…not just one. And, yes, Bama has 8 while claiming 13…which is false. But Tech’s titles had more support than just one publication.
Old Blind Dawg
July 14th, 2011
11:14 am
I couldn’t agree more George Stein.
I wish the AJC would do something along the lines of UGA / GT position by position comparison. That would fuel some heady debate for sure.
I’m thinking our OL will be marginal to horrendous if we have any injuries. I’m also thinking our D could be scary good.
Tech Wrecker
July 14th, 2011
11:15 am
Ken Swilling NFL talent? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Captain America was a 7th round draft pick,lol, by the Browns!
Tom Shane
July 14th, 2011
11:15 am
How did the UGA fan get a speeding ticket while on his couch?
The break on his double wide broke.
HG
July 14th, 2011
11:15 am
None of you here are student athletes so you can’t understand what it takes to succeed on and off the field. All division I programs have issues, period. Let’s hope today’s news is positive, if only for the players.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 14th, 2011
11:15 am
And with that. I’m done here. I hate that we have to wait until 3pm to get what we were told was coming at 10am. Work can’t wait on this anymore. Clients gotta get their deliverables either way. Until 3pm, people, I’ll bid you a nervous but everpresent “Go Jackets!”
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 14th, 2011
11:18 am
If somebody wrote the word Alabama and a number 1 beside it on the back of a cereal box Alabama claims it.
Typical Tech
July 14th, 2011
11:18 am
BUNCH OF TECH THUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
juvenal
July 14th, 2011
11:18 am
would not be amazed if it was chan……..
Not A Nerd
July 14th, 2011
11:20 am
DThomas and Morgan Burnette recieved extra benefits and were working with agents dating back to late 2008. Looks like some schollys will be lost and wins from those seasons will be vacated. Another couple years of probation and potentially no bowls due to the infractions soon after getting off probation……..
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 14th, 2011
11:20 am
Coleman Rudolph, William Bell, David Hendrix, Ken Swilling, Willie Clay, Mike Mooney, Scott Sisson and Marco Coleman were all NFL talent.
None of those guys other than Swilling had any kind of NFL career.
Case closed.
St. Richt
July 14th, 2011
11:20 am
Tech Wrecker aka “Genius”, being drafted in the 7th round would constitute NFL talent. Throw in another 7th rounder from that team, too, in Calvin Tiggle. If you get drafted, that would usually make you NFL talent.
The Truth
July 14th, 2011
11:21 am
GA Tech, Tennessee, Auburn and Ohio St. are the four biggest outlaw schools in America. And Everyone knows it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
George Stein
July 14th, 2011
11:21 am
Agreed, OBD. I think it’s only natural for the fans of each school to compare themselves to the other (although the scoreboard has said that there isn’t much comparison).
I’d like the AJC start erasing comments that add nothing to the discussion. If people want to label an entire team as thugs or the other as nerds, they can take their talents elsewhere.
dangGT
July 14th, 2011
11:21 am
If you’re going to cheat,at least win a few games! Nothing worse than a cheating loser…
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 14th, 2011
11:21 am
This does not happen at Nebraska.
reebok
July 14th, 2011
11:22 am
this can’t be good…just hope it is not especially bad. with any luck we can stay in ’slap on the wrist’ territory.