Georgia Tech Basketball: The NCAA Drops the Hammer on the Yellow Jackets

Well, this isn’t fun. The NCAA dropped the hammer on Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team today after two boosters provided impermissible benefits.

Among the penalties are as follows:

• Four years of probation.
• A 2019-20 postseason ban for the men’s basketball team.
• A fine of $5,000 plus 2% of the men’s basketball program budget.
• A reduction of one men’s basketball scholarship during each year of probation.
• Recruiting restrictions for the men’s basketball program that will apply for each year of probation, including: (1) An eight-week ban on unofficial visits, (2) A three-visit reduction from the permissible number of official visits, (3) an eight-week ban on recruiting communications, and (4) a reduction of 19 recruiting-person days from the permissible number.
• A three-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach. During that period, any NCAA member school employing him must restrict him from any athletically related duties unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.
• A vacation of records in which the men’s basketball student-athletes competed while ineligible. The university must provide a written report containing the contests impacted to the NCAA media coordination and statistics staff within 14 days of the public decision release.
• A prohibition from scheduling official visits in conjunction with home men’s basketball competitions during the first two years of probation.
• Disassociations of the following individuals (self-imposed by the university): (1) a three-year disassociation of the former assistant coach, (2) a three-year disassociation of the former Georgia Tech men’s basketball student-athlete and booster, and (3) a disassociation of the head coach’s friend and booster.

Needless to say, this isn’t pretty. Leave your thoughts and reactions below.