UNT One Of The Innocents

KRAM1 · June 22, 2011

Interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding "The NCAA's Last Innocents". It seems there are only 17 FBS schools left that have not been in big trouble with the NCAA over rules violations, etc. UNT is one of the "innocents". The list includes:

University of North Texas

Boston College

Northwestern

Penn State

Stanford

Air Force

Boise St.

Bowling Green

Central Mich.

Colo. St.

Fla. Atlantic

Kent St.

Ohio

Rice

Troy

UAB

W. Mich

Interesting list. These are schools that, TO DATE, have never been found guilty of any major rules violations. It's an interesting read, but unfortunately UNT gets no further mention than a listing in those comprising the "Last Innocents". WSJ, page D6, June 22, 2011.

GO MEAN GREEN!

NCMeanGreen · June 22, 2011

Kind of surprising not to find ALL of the service academies on this list...

Quoner · June 22, 2011

What about the BC point-shaving thing? Or is this football only?

letsgiveacheer · June 22, 2011

Kind of surprising not to find ALL of the service academies on this list...

I can't speak to NCAA infractions, but I do suspect that the public would be surprised at how the academies do their recruiting. Some years ago, they all realized that if they were to remain competitive in D1 football, the old system of getting in the academy first and then getting on the football team was not going to work anymore. As a result, there is almost a sub-class of cadets and midshipmen who are playing football that could not get in the academy through normal channels. Still, their class schedule and work load would put most any other college to shame.

While I am at it, I am still sore about having a mandatory deduction from my pay for the AF Academy football stadium. I could have cared less about AFA football.

Harry · June 22, 2011

What about the BC point-shaving thing? Or is this football only?

I thought about BC too. Amazing how many SWC schools were on probation at the same time. An interesting article from 1987.

KRAM1 · June 22, 2011

I can't speak to NCAA infractions, but I do suspect that the public would be surprised at how the academies do their recruiting. Some years ago, they all realized that if they were to remain competitive in D1 football, the old system of getting in the academy first and then getting on the football team was not going to work anymore. As a result, there is almost a sub-class of cadets and midshipmen who are playing football that could not get in the academy through normal channels. Still, their class schedule and work load would put most any other college to shame.

While I am at it, I am still sore about having a mandatory deduction from my pay for the AF Academy football stadium. I could have cared less about AFA football.

This is true about the service academies that are in DI. For the Merchant marine Academy and the Coast Guard Academy (both DIII schools in the NCAA world), athletes MUST meet the exact same selection criteria as all midshipmen. Athletes, while recruited and can get a few favors when it comes to late nominations and late entry, are Midshipmen first and athletes second.

Since Army, Navy and Air Force compete in DI they simply need some "help" in recruiting or they would no longer be able to play in DI. As I understand it, the athletes (especially football and basketball) at Army, Navy and Air Force often have "softer academic schedules as well and "miss" some of the regimental duties...not so at Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine Academy.

This in no way is to mean that Army, Navy and Air Force athletes do not have rigorous academic and regimental schedules...quite the contrary and athletes at "non-service academy schools would be amazed at how much more these service academy athletes are required to do...it just means they often get a bit of a break that other Cadets and Midshipmen do not get. Much can be attached to the fact that they have to spend so much time at their sport. Each who graduate will be fully prepared to be commissioned an officer in their service branch and trained to be one of our great nation's young leaders of the future. My hat is off to each and every one.

VideoEagle · June 22, 2011

It's a great list to included on. And, you can be on the list and have a good team as Stanford and Penn State show! So much for the "you have to cheat to win" school of thought.

UNT Mean Green · June 22, 2011

Interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding "The NCAA's Last Innocents". It seems there are only 17 FBS schools left that have not been in big trouble with the NCAA over rules violations, etc. UNT is one of the "innocents". The list includes:

University of North Texas
Boston College
Northwestern
Penn State
Stanford
Air Force
Boise St.
Bowling Green
Central Mich.
Colo. St.
Fla. Atlantic
Kent St.
Ohio
Rice
Troy
UAB
W. Mich

Interesting list. These are schools that, TO DATE, have never been found guilty of any major rules violations. It's an interesting read, but unfortunately UNT gets no further mention than a listing in those comprising the "Last Innocents". WSJ, page D6, June 22, 2011.

GO MEAN GREEN!