That Sepp Blatter stepped down as FIFA president Tuesday is seen as a hugely positive step for those who think the international soccer group needs to be cleaned up. (Of course, Blatter resigning doesn't mean that is going to happen.) The FIFA scandal brings to mind some college football scandals of the past -- and two of them, college fans must admit, are unfortunately particularly memorable.
One scandal that isn't on our list: The Nevin Shapiro situation at Miami. The initial report was an eye-opener -- but also eye-opening was the way the NCAA went about investigating the allegations. In short, it was a scandalous investigation of a scandalous situation. To butcher a line from Shakespeare, "It was a tale full of sound and fury -- but it signified nothing."
Another we left off was the ongoing academic scandal at North Carolina. Considering that the transgressions began in the last century, we hope the NCAA finishes its investigation sometime this century. But who knows with the NCAA? In its own way, it's as inept as FIFA.
Here are five scandals that were significant.
Auburn
Skinny: Auburn went 11-0 in 1993 under first-year coach Terry Bowden and was the nation's only unbeaten team that season. But the Tigers were ineligible for the SEC title and any postseason play because of rules violations -- including the paying of players -- committed during the tenure of Pat Dye, who preceded Bowden as coach. (Interestingly, Florida State won the national title in 1993. FSU, of course, was coached by Terry's dad, Bobby.) The probation lasted through the '94 season, when Auburn went 9-1-1. The transgressions cost Dye his job, though he remains a revered figure to some at Auburn. Actually, maybe that should be "to most at Auburn," considering Auburn currently plays on Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Seriously. It'd be like, oh, Russian president Vladimir Putin saying one of the venues at the 2018 World Cup in his country will be called "Sepp Blatter Stadium."
Oklahoma
Skinny: Sooners coach Barry Switzer lost his job because of NCAA violations -- but not the group of violations we're going to discuss. OU went 10-0-1 in 1973 and 11-0 in '74, but wasn't allowed any postseason play because of violations committed during the coaching tenure of Chuck Fairbanks, who left Oklahoma for the New England Patriots after the 1972 season. Switzer was promoted from offensive coordinator, but his first two seasons were tainted by the NCAA sanctions. The transgressions ran the gamut, from what the NCAA called "improper recruiting inducements" to academic fraud to unethical conduct. The '74 team was tremendous: It outscored foes 473-92. And, yes, you read that right: OU gave up 92 points all season. (Switzer resigned in 1989, a few months after OU was placed on three years' probation.) And as with Dye at Auburn, Switzer seemingly is beloved by a lot of Sooners fans.
SMU
Skinny: The most infamous corruption case in college football, at least until the Penn State situation came along. In a nutshell, SMU paid players to perform -- and the payouts were doled out even after the school already was on probation. It led to the NCAA shutting down the program (the infamous "Death Penalty") for the 1987 season; the school added a second season of inactivity itself in an effort to try to have a bit of forward momentum when the program was resurrected. It didn't work: SMU was a wasteland for two decades before reviving itself for a brief time under June Jones. There are high hopes for the immediate future because of the hiring of Chad Morris away from Clemson, where he had been offensive coordinator. Still, it's hard to imagine any football program ever having to go through what SMU did; it's almost 30 years later, and the program is light-years away from what it was. Ron Meyer was the coach at SMU when the payments started, but as with Fairbanks at Oklahoma, Meyer had skedaddled for the NFL before the NCAA hammer came down.
USC
Skinny: After one of the most successful runs in college football history under coach Pete Carroll, the NCAA slapped USC in 2010 with some of the most severe sanctions this side of SMU's death penalty for a lack of institutional control. At the center of things was former Trojans running back Reggie Bush -- he and his family were accused of accepting improper benefits during his time at the school. The men's basketball and women's tennis programs were also involved in the NCAA's probe, which ultimately resulted in USC getting hit with penalties that included a two-year bowl ban, the loss of 30 scholarships in football from 2011-2013 and a vacation of all victories from December 2004 through the 2005 season, including a national championship win.
Penn State
Skinny: Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno's longtime defensive coordinator at Penn State, was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in June 2012 for abuses that occurred from 1994 to 2009. The handling of allegations made against Sandusky cost Paterno and school president Graham Spanier their jobs in 2011 amid the outrage growing over the scandal. Following an investigation and report by former FBI director Louis Freeh, who was hired by Penn State to review the school's response to allegations made against Sandusky, the NCAA hit Penn State in 2012 with a $60 million fine, four-year bowl ban and vacation of all wins dating to 1998. The NCAA eventually rolled back some penalties, but the program is still dealing with the aftermath.
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