Give them penalties or give them death?

You always hear people say something like, “I love college football more than pro football. Those kids are playing strictly for the love of it.” You wonder if those people are now retracting their statements. Over time, especially over the past decade, we have seen some scandals in division one college football, both reported and found, that make you shake your head. Am I the only one who just cringes when another program is found with violations? It seems like it’s a monthly occurrence. Programs with great history and tradition are getting busted; programs with less success and power are also getting busted. “There’s a reason the student comes first in student-athlete.” This used to be a true statement. Let me forever dispel that myth. College football is about money, fame and power. Sounds like a tag line for a Scarface sequel, but it is true, or at least appears true after so many programs have come under fire. Let’s just list a few in the past decade:

Florida State University, or should I say "Free Shoes University": That nickname stuck when agents were found to have bought more than $6,000 worth of shoes for Seminoles players. Not too serious, I admit. There were much higher stakes in 2009, when Bobby Bowden had to vacate 12 victories because of an academic cheating scandal that included athletes from several FSU teams.

Gary Barnett’s X-rated recruiting at Colorado: Barnett was forced to resign in 2005 after it was learned his recruiting tactics included providing sex, drugs and alcohol to recruits. His bitter end was foreshadowed by a suspension in 2004 for making derogatory comments after kicker Katie Hnida had said she had been allegedly raped by a Buffalo player.

Southern Cal and Reggie Bush: The Trojan running back is the only player to give back a Heisman Trophy. USC's transgressions in 2005 weren't far removed from another major infraction in 2001, when tutors were caught writing papers for football players.

Tattoo blues at Ohio State: Jim Tressel wrecked his career when he failed to disclose information about players trading memorabilia for tattoos last season. All of that body ink meant it was time to pen a resignation letter. Now Terrelle Pryor may have that negative stigma no matter what he does in the NFL.

And the most recent one, which may be the biggest of all: Former booster, now imprisoned for his involvement in the Ponzi scheme, Nevin Shapiro’s allegations of major violations surrounding the University of Miami’s football program from 2002-2010.

Some of the details:

Let’s start with the most famous player listed above, Reggie Bush. He and the Trojans were found guilty; Bush and his family for taking money from a sports agent for housing and travel, and USC for not having any sort of compliance at all. The punishment: 4 years probation, 2 year bowl ban, 30 scholarships lost. Fair? Maybe, or maybe not. It’s fair that USC had to vacate wins and a national title with Bush having to give back his 2005 Heisman. It’s not fair that today’s USC football team had to pay for something that happened while the players might have been in junior high school. The NCAA was trying to prove a point, which I believe they did.

Next, “THE” Ohio State University. Terrelle Pryor and four others admitted to selling memorabilia for extra money and Jim Tressel lied about his knowledge of these violations. Pryor is now off to the NFL a year before expected and Tressel lost his job.

The “U.” While we are still at the beginning of this investigation, we do know that nine former players and one former coach have corroborated the story told by Nevin Shapiro. If that is the case, seventy something players involved in prostitution and “bounty” money for big game hits.

So who’s to blame? The athletic programs are for sure for their failure to have credible and qualified compliance departments. The coaches are also to blame even though it may be very difficult to monitor a hundred players involved on a football team. However, USC’s running back coach Todd McNair had knowledge of what Reggie Bush was doing. We all know that Coach Tressel had knowledge of his Buckeyes. So coaches are also at fault. Speaking of the Buckeyes, how about the NCAA? They found out about the five Buckeye players and their violations but chose to let the players play in 2011 Sugar Bowl vs. Arkansas. Why did the NCAA choose to send a message to USC but not to Ohio State? They had a chance to set the record straight and they let the players and yes, the money, dictate who rules.

I find myself saying, “You would never see this school get busted,” and, “They run a clean program.” But, much like MLB players who may or may not have partaken in steroid use, you never know who’s going to get named next. Can we trust any college program today? Is it true that no program can be successful and still be clean? I am not saying that programs like Miami should definitely be given the death penalty (suspended football program indefinitely). What I am saying, what I am pleading, is that the NCAA and the institutions tighten everything extensively. Instead of spending that money for a 9^th uniform (coughing Oregon’s name sarcastically), instead of spending that money on another state of the art gym and weightlifting room, instead of using funds for video equipment, let’s get back to basics. Let’s put the right people in place to run a program. As a UCLA Bruin fan, I will be the first to acknowledge that the best move USC has made recently is firing former athletic director Mike Garrett and hiring Pat Haden. A big move should be made by you too, NCAA. Create a position to oversee each division one football conference to instill and maintain the integrity of college football. Keep it college football; prevent it from becoming a minor league to the NFL. We all agree that Auburn’s national championship has somewhat of a black eye to it. Please don’t let every champion forward have that same black eye.