ASU Football imposes 1-year postseason ban for recruiting violations

The Arizona State University (ASU) football team has self-imposed a year-long postseason ban following an ongoing NCAA investigation regarding recruiting violations under former head coach Herm Edwards.

A recent story from The State Press details the events that led up to the self-imposing postseason ban. Below is an excerpt from The State Press.

“Arizona State University has informed the NCAA and Pac-12 conference that it will self-impose a one-year postseason ban on its football program for the upcoming season,” ASU Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson said in a statement Sunday. “In light of the ongoing investigation and our membership obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the matter, we will not be commenting further at this time.”

The decision means that, regardless of the performance of this year’s team, it will not be eligible for postseason play after finishing its final season in the Pac-12. The move could dampen excitement for a team that has built expectations for its first season with head coach Kenny Dillingham and newly-announced starting quarterback, true freshman Jaden Rashada. ASU’s last bowl game appearance was in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 30, 2021, in a losing effort against the University of Wisconsin.

Dillingham’s contract stipulates that if the NCAA were to impose a post-season ban, “ASU will request (Arizona Board of Regents’) approval of an extension of Coach’s contract for each year such sanctions are in effect, with each additional year including the annual salary increase of $100,000.” It is unconfirmed whether a self-imposed ban will trigger this clause in the contract.

The NCAA’s investigation into ASU began in June 2021 when ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet confirmed the school was being investigated for recruiting violations centered around the program hosting recruits on ASU’s campus during an NCAA-imposed recruiting dead period. The dead period, which prohibited interaction between team officials and recruits, began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ended in June 2021.

In January 2022, the NCAA ratified a new Constitution, outlining that “each member institution, consistent with the principle of institutional control, shall hold itself accountable” to NCAA regulations. The Constitution also emphasizes that punishments brought down by the NCAA should avoid discipline that impacts players and coaches who were not involved with the violations.

To read the full story from The State Press, click here.