What Does the Syracuse Settlement Mean for UNC

The NCAA’s long-running, ongoing investigation into UNC’s academic fraud continues to plod along, even as deals are made with primary figures and other investigations come to a close. The recent settlement with UNC academic whistleblower, Mary Willingham, and the sanctions against Syracuse for academic, drug, and gifts violations, has put the focus once again on Chapel Hill’s alleged use of paper classes to assist potentially-ineligible athletes. The vacating of wins, reduction of scholarships, financial penalties, years of probation, and suspension of Syracuse’s Boeheim for nine ACC games next year begs the question of what is coming for Chapel Hill, and UNC officials must be considering those sanctions when planning for what is likely to next for their own university. While UNC’s academic scandal is clearly a different beast than what was seen at Syracuse and although the NCAA maintains that it treats each case independently, the two punishments will certainly be compared in the eyes of the public once the NCAA makes its ruling.

This comparison, however inaccurate, will undoubtedly be on the minds of NCAA adjudicators, regardless of the infractions committee’s pledge of independence, and will certainly continue to fuel distaste for the already beleaguered NCAA in the eyes of some. Regardless of what the rulings are, one of the fanbases of two of the most storied basketball programs in America will be outraged, promising even more fireworks as UNC and Syracuse now have the privilege of sharing conference play, and if UNC is perceived as getting off light in the eyes of Syracuse fans, a disgruntled fanbase could turn downright hostile.

Not that this is a particular concern for the NCAA, as has been exemplified time and again by its unpopular and sometimes tin-eared decision making, nor should it be. In fact, one hopes that whatever sanctions are meted-out for UNC are just and unswayed by fear of popular reprisal. However, it would be naive to suspect that NCAA officials will have forgotten what punishments they gave Syracuse when deciding North Carolina’s sanctions, especially considering the academic nature of Chapel Hill’s violations.

Pressure on the NCAA

The fact that this particular case is one that strikes at the core of an elite university’s academic standing adds pressure to the NCAA to get it right in the eyes of the public. Be too lenient in punishment, especially in light of Syracuse’s recent dealings, and critics’ suspicions will appear verified that the “student” in “student-athlete” is becoming a complete misnomer, a charge already being frequently levied against the current state of intercollegiate athletics. By that thinking, it seems reasonable in the case of UNC to expect the NCAA to go beyond the sanctions charged to Syracuse.

Some have called for the infamous “death penalty” for UNC, the banning of a school from competition for a given amount of time, but that probably isn’t a realistic expectation due to the prestige of the powers in question. What can be expected, however, is the punishments for Syracuse will provide a primer for those against UNC, because no matter how much the NCAA might claim otherwise, these two cases are not happening in a vacuum.

Feature Image, Gerry Broome