Sports Illustrated alleges years of violations by Ohio State under Jim Tressel

Ohio State isn't out of the woods with the NCAA even thoughJim Tressel has resigned his job. A Sports Illustrated articledelves deeper in the career of Tressel and alleges years of rules violations by the coach and his players.



The article takes Tressel to task for is apparent ignorance of players receiving money and improper benefits, including cars and marijuana, during his time at Youngstown State and Ohio State.



It also touches on Tressel's actions as assistant for the Buckeyes under Earle Bruce in the 1980s. Here's an excerpt of the article:



One of Tressel's duties then was to organize and run the Buckeyes' summer camp. Most of the young players who attended it would never play college football, but a few were top prospects whom Ohio State was recruiting. At the end of camp, attendees bought tickets to a raffle with prizes such as cleats and a jersey. According to his fellow assistant, Tressel rigged the raffle so that the elite prospects won -- a potential violation of NCAA rules. Says the former colleague, who asked not to be identified because he still has ties to the Ohio State community, "In the morning he would read the Bible with another coach. Then, in the afternoon, he would go out and cheat kids who had probably saved up money from mowing lawns to buy those raffle tickets. That's Jim Tressel."



SI claims at least 28 Ohio State players dating back to 2002 are either known or alleged to have traded or sold memorabilia in violation of NCAA rules in exchange for tattoos from local Columbus businesses.



Former defensive lineman Robert Rose was one of those players. He has no regrets about receiving impermissible gifts.



"I knew how much money that the school was making," he told the magazine. "I always heard about how Ohio State had the biggest Nike budget. I was struggling, my mom was struggling. ... It was just something that I had to do. I was in a hard spot. ... [Other] guys were doing it for the same reasons. The university doesn't really help. Technically we knew it was wrong, but a lot of those guys are from the inner city and we didn't have much, and we had to go on the best we could. I couldn't call home to ask my mom to help me out."



Sports Illustrated contacted the school for comment about the new allegations in the story Friday. The magazine was referred to Tressel and his attorney, Gene Marsh. Neither responded to inquires during the weekend. And on Monday after 10 seasons Tressel stepped down.

Tressel suspended two games, fined $250,000

COLUMBUS - Ohio State suspended football coach Jim Tressel for two games and fined him $250,000 on Tuesday for violating NCAA rules by failing to notify the school about information he received involving two players and questionable activities involving the sale of memorabilia.

Tressel also will receive a public reprimand and must make a public apology. The NCAA is investigating and could reject the self-imposed penalties and impose additional sanctions.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110308/SPT01/303080074/Report-Tressel-won-t-lose-job

Question of the Day: If Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel knew his players were selling memorabilia?

Question of the Day: If Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel knew his players were selling memorabilia well in advance of official notification, what should be his punishment?

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the controversy surrounding the Ohio State coach. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times

This is a big IF, but IF Jim Tressel knew of the allegations months in advance of the announcement he should be severely reprimanded/suspended ... and that's just for appetizers. Start with grounding him for five games next season, the same punishment his players received after being graciously/ridiculously allowed to lead their team to Sugar Bowl glory.

This story stinks, it always has, and right now down at THE Ohio State A&P, there's a huge cleanup on aisle 2. We are open-minded and all ears waiting to hear the school's official response, and suspicious of any story citing one "anonymous" source. It is so "old media" now to wait until all facts are in before pronouncing judgment, but also no downplaying the potential seriousness of the charge or what it could mean to the reputation and future of an honorable institution.

Jim Tressel and Ohio State Could Face Major Violations For Not Disclosing Memorabilia Scandal

Yahoo’s harbinger of doom has struck again. Charles Robinson and Dan Wetzel have a source who claims Jim Tressel knew about players selling memorabilia in April 2010, not December as previously claimed. If substantiated, both Tressel and Ohio State could face major NCAA violations. Emphasis on the “if substantiated.”Ohio State said it had no prior knowledge of players selling memorabilia to tattoo shop owner Edward Rife until Dec. 7, 2010, when alerted by federal officials. The Yahoo! source says “a concerned party” contacted Tressel and he “indicated that he would investigate the matter and take appropriate action.” No apparent action was taken. Both parties would be held accountable, but the degree will depend on whether Tressel informed other school officials or not.