Oh, boy. Alabama can't go ten good years without severe academic/athletic probation, can it? Way to go, Shula/Saban!

sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4250596

Looks like the Tide'll be vacating at least ten and up to twenty-one wins from 2005-2007. Too bad they won't be vacating the slaughterfest they put on us last year, though...

Sad part of the NCAA ruling . . . .

To their credit, the Tide appears to have avoided a postseason and television ban and loss of scholarships as the NCAA has trended recently towards vacating victories over other forms of punishment.

Hurts the program more in my opinion when they have to give up the scholarships.

NCAA places Alabama football program on probation
Posted Jun 11, 2009 3:06 PM
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -The NCAA has placed Alabama's football program and 15 other of the school's athletic teams on three years probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks.
The NCAA's Committee on Infractions said Thursday the football team must vacate an unspecified number of wins in which any of seven players took part during 2005-2007. The university identified the seven as "intentional wrongdoers."
The NCAA said that 201 student-athletes in the 16 sports, including men's basketball, obtained "impermissible benefits" by using their scholarships to obtain free textbooks for other students. It also found the university guilty of "failure to monitor."
The university was ordered to pay a $43,900 fine.
(This version CORRECTS Alabama will vacate wins not forfeit them)

Vacating victories does absolutely NOTHING to punish the school. Everybody knows that they won the games. The money hurts, sure, but UA pays Saban $8 mil a year, so which hurts more? Why not hand down a REAL penalty, like loss of scholarships or TV coverage? That affects their athletic department MUCH more heavily.

Of course, if this were happening at Ball State or Troy, they'd lose bowl privileges and ten scholarships for the next five years. The NCAA knows which side its bread is buttered on...damn shame...

Of course if this were Vandy or Kentucky it wouldnt even make headlines. But because Bama went 12-2 last year the magnifying glass gets alot stronger. If this were UGA(or for me Fla) the punishment would fit the crime. And dont try to be naive and say that this doesnt happen at UGA or FLA or any other university, these type of things go unnoticed all the time.

gs, don't think anyone wants their university to be caught up in the cheating business. Maybe you are right about feelings, probably so. Just need this quote from you explained or expounded on. . . . .

these type of things go unnoticed all the time.

Before you answer, hope that you have FACTS to back the above statement up. Not being ugly, just calling a gator out on one comment.

Hey Buc....if they "go unnoticed all the time" then how do the know?!!?