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Auburn fans, media react to NCAA ruling, end of 4-year saga
By Keith Farner
Published:
Auburn fans and media alike are glad that the 4-year saga of the NCAA investigation into the Chuck Person scandal is now over.
Jeff Goodman, a college basketball writer at Stadium, called it a major victory for Auburn. The program was put on probation for 4 years, Bruce Pearl will serve a 2-game suspension and the program will lose 2 scholarships over the next 4 years.
Others said Auburn got a lighter penalty because Missouri’s ruling in recent years was too harsh. A couple of people pointed out media members like Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated and Dan Wolken of USA Today taking shots that the NCAA was too lenient on Auburn.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction:
Pat Forde and Dan Wolken are absolutely writing up columns saying how wrong the NCAA is and I can’t wait to read it
Love to @coachbrucepearl war eagle 4ever
— Allie Davison (@Allie_Davison) December 10, 2021
This is a MAJOR VICTORY for the Auburn men’s basketball program and for Bruce Pearl.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 10, 2021
It’s over, Auburn fans.
Y’all can breathe a big sigh of relief after four years of this hanging over the program.
Auburn cooperating and self-imposing over the past couple of years was a big part in avoiding major NCAA penalties today.
— Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) December 10, 2021
Shouldn’t the standard be that your self-imposed NCAA Tournament ban is not accepted if, objectively, your team would not have made the NCAA tourney for the year in question? Auburn, 13-14, 7-11 in the SEC in 2020-21, lost nothing https://t.co/pECWtDeZib
— Mark Story (@markcstory) December 10, 2021
Remember when Pat Forde said Auburn wasn’t outsmarting anyone by imposing a postseason ban last year?
Well, the NCAA not only recognized that self-imposed sanction, but five others.
Auburn compliance did their job.
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) December 10, 2021
Fairly good news for Auburn basketball.
No postseason ban. Two game suspension for Bruce Pearl starting now.
A handful of other sanctions. More coming at @AuburnLiveOn3
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) December 10, 2021
Okay THESE details are different than what I’ve seen the national folks tweeting about
Still not super stiff penalties, but a little harsher than I expected (probation and scholarship reduction, at least).
Auburn must also vacate wins (GASP) https://t.co/YjEClRSsKL
— Nathanael Rutherford (@Mr_Rutherford) December 10, 2021
Here’s a little discovery:
In being proactive and self-imposing last year’s postseason ban, Auburn seemingly got off from a second postseason ban.
The panel considered a second ban and said it would be “appropriate”, but declined to impose it. pic.twitter.com/uFtxeDUMWh
— Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) December 10, 2021
Real talk: I hope I never hear another Auburn person complain about Rich McGlynn for the rest of my life. He coordinated the Cam Newton Extrication and he engineered this.
— Jay G. Tate (@JayGTate) December 10, 2021
The NCAA wasn’t in position to ignore Auburn’s cooperation and four-years of various, self-imposed penalties in this matter.
These penalties send a message that cooperation is appreciated.
With that said, Mizzou made this possible. It was penalized too harshly a few years back.
— Jay G. Tate (@JayGTate) December 10, 2021
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
