Tuesday morning, PowerMizzou first reported that the NCAA's appeals committee had finally provided Missouri with an answer to its appeal. The answer was the same as the initial sanctions: As a result of a rogue tutor providing impermissible academic benefits to 12 student-athletes, the football, baseball and softball teams would still be faced with a one-year postseason ban, among other sanctions.
It didn't take long for Missouri administrators, coaches, players and even politicians to lash out against the decision. Athletics director Jim Sterk and chancellor Alexander Cartwright released a joint statement in which they claimed the appeals committee "shirked its duties" by upholding the initial sanctions. They went on to say that the appeal being upheld ""raises serious questions about whether the current NCAA enforcement system encourages or discourages cultures of compliance and integrity."
The backlash did not end with Sterk and Cartwright. Football coach Barry Odom, baseball coach Steve Bieser and softball coach Larissa Anderson also expressed disappointment with the ruling. All three programs will have to reduce scholarships and face recruiting restrictions in addition to the postseason ban. Their statements, along with the entire statements from Sterk and Cartwright, can can be viewed in their entirety here.
Athletics director Jim Sterk was among the many administrators to lash out against the NCAA's decision to uphold Missouri's sanctions. (Gabe DeArmond)
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Missouri Board of Curators chairman John Sundvold may have come out with the strongest statement In support of Missouri. Sundvold, who played basketball for the Tigers from 1979-1983, called the NCAA enforcement system "broken."
"This decision hurts student-athletes who had nothing to do with the actions uncovered and who put 110% into everything they do – their schoolwork, their practice time, their dedication to this great institution," Sundvold said in a statement. "They have put their belief into a system that should reward good behavior and discipline poor actions. Instead, we're seeing the reverse happen, and it sets a dangerous precedent.
"Mizzou did the right thing. This ruling tells every other school that it's better to hide the truth than to admit mistakes."
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement In support of Missouri as well. Sankey, whose pressure reportedly helped assure the Tigers at least got a resolution from the appeals committee before the conclusion of the football regular season, called the penalties imposed on Missouri "unusually severe."
Sankey's statement reads, in part: "Throughout this process, the University of Missouri has conducted itself with great integrity and has been praised by the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions for its exemplary cooperation in this matter. While there is no excuse for the actions of a single academic tutor and the small number of student-athletes involved, the penalties applied are unusually severe when fully considered.
It is regrettable that so many innocent current Missouri student-athletes across three sports will miss postseason opportunities due to actions for which they were not responsible. Our disappointment related to the application of a postseason ban and the Infractions Appeals Committee’s upholding of the decision after more than four months of deliberations is magnified by recent decisions in other cases with similar fact patterns.
While it is important to hold accountable those individuals who engage in unethical behavior and conduct that fails to meet our expectations for integrity in college athletics, it is also important to fully consider the nuances and unique set of circumstances present in each case when setting penalties."
Several other figures spoke out in opposition to the decision, from politicians to current student-athletes. Here are a few of those reactions.
Missouri has called a press conference at 4 p.m. to discuss the decision. PowerMizzou will have full coverage from that as well as any other developments throughout the day.
