NCAA could not conclude academic violations at UNC

NCAA: Committee on Infractions hearing panel could not conclude that the University of North Carolina violated NCAA academic rules.

The University of North Carolina avoided major sanctions after the NCAA announced that the Committee on Infractions could not conclude that the school violated rules when it offered “paper classes” in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies.

The classes in question were taken by more than 3,000 students, both athletes and non-athletes, over the course of 18 years from 1993 to 2011. This particular investigation, though, was focused on student-athletes who took the courses from 2002 to 2011.

During that nine-year span, the North Carolina men’s basketball program won two national titles, in 2005 and 2009. It was those two championships, and the wins accumulated by the program during that time span, that many were concerned would be erased with the NCAA’s final judgement on the matter.

As it turn out, though, the school has avoided all major sanctions.

Initially, it appears as if the penalties that the school will face pertain primarily to former department chair/professor Julius Nyang’oro and former student services manager Deborah Crowder. Both were found to have violated principles of ethical conduct when failing to cooperate with the NCAA enforcement staff.

It’s a particularly sweet victory for the school and the men’s basketball program, given the timing of the announcement.

Tonight, the unofficial start to the 2017-18 college basketball season takes place at the Dean Smith Center when both men’s and women’s basketball programs take center stage at Late Night with Roy. 

Perhaps, even sweeter is the fact that players, coaches and fans alike will celebrate the unveiling of the Tar Heels’ 2017 national championship banner. For the first time in nearly four years, all involved will be able to celebrate without the thought of possible sanctions in the back of their minds.

Tonight starts a new era for the North Carolina men’s basketball program, as well as the university as a whole. And tonight when the championship banner is raised, there will be no doubt that it’s the undisputed seventh national championship in program