NCAA Delivers Notice Of Allegations To Ohio State

Tressel is accused of ethical misconduct when he knowingly provided false information to the NCAA in certifying that he knew of no potential violations by his players and failed to inform Ohio State officials, including athletic director Gene Smith and school president G. Gordon Gee.

NCAA LETTER: See the notice of allegations

The school, according to the NCAA, fielded ineligible players last season when starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor and others competed despite Tressel’s knowledge of their misconduct. NCAA bylaws call for immediate suspensions.

Ohio State issued a brief response to the notice in a release Monday.

“The allegations are largely consistent with what the university self-reported to the NCAA on March 8, 2011, and which were widely covered in the media,” the release said. “The university will continue to work cooperatively with the NCAA during the response phase to the NCAA that now begins, and will have no further comment until the process is completed.”

Tressel has already stated he would accept a five-game suspension for his misdeeds. The school is scheduled to go before the Committee on Infractions on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis, meaning a decision on further penalties likely will not happen until after the football season starts.

“It was reported that Jim Tressel, head football coach, failed to deport himself in accordance with the honesty and integrity normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics and violated ethical-conduct legislation,” the 13-page NCAA document says.

In a positive for the school, the NCAA did not cite Ohio State for “failure to monitor” or “failure of institutional control” violations. That charge typically carries the largest penalties.

“That was very significant,” a person close to the investigation told The Columbus Dispatch.

However, the school is considered a repeat offender by the NCAA because of violations by former quarterback Troy Smith, who received $500 from a booster, and former basketball coach Jim O’Brien, who paid $6,000 to a potential recruit.

The notice of allegation comes as more details are released about Tressel’s behavior after learning Pryor and DeVier Posey received illegal benefits in exchange for personal items.

Tressel said he kept the allegations secret because of a federal investigation surrounding the case. It was later revealed he did contact a mentor of Pryor about the allegations. The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that Tressel called an FBI agent within days of first receiving an email.

An eventual investigation led to five players, including Pryor and Posey, being suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season.