UNC Escapes NCAA Punishment In Academic Fraud Case

UNC fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
On Friday morning, the NCAA released the findings of its lengthy academic fraud investigation into North Carolina and it was determined that the NCAA Committee on Infractions “could not conclude any academic violations” against the university.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions released its findings online.
“While student-athletes likely benefited from the so-called ‘paper courses’ offered by North Carolina, the information available in the record did not establish that the courses were solely created, offered and maintained as an orchestrated effort to benefit student-athletes,” said Greg Sankey, the panel’s chief hearing officer and commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.
“The panel is troubled by the university’s shifting positions about whether academic fraud occurred on its campus and the credibility of the Cadwalader report, which it distanced itself from after initially supporting the findings. However, NCAA policy is clear. The NCAA defers to its member schools to determine whether academic fraud occurred and, ultimately, the panel is bound to making decisions within the rules set by the membership.
“While student-athletes likely benefited from the courses, so did the general student body. Additionally, the record did not establish that the university created and offered the courses as part of a systemic effort to benefit only student-athletes.”
North Carolina was facing Level I violations.
As you would expect, rival schools and fans aren’t too pleased with UNC getting off without any punishment, but for Tar Heel nation this is the good news they were hoping for.
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