Jim Boeheim Suspended Nine Games, Syracuse Basketball Stripped of 12 Scholarships After NCAA Investigation

The NCAA just punished Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse basketball team.

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Early last month, the Syracuse men's basketball team issued a self-imposed postseason ban on their program in light of the fact that the NCAA was looking into a handful of rules violations that had reportedly taken place as far back as 2001. But apparently, the NCAA doesn't think that that ban—which will disqualify Syracuse from taking part in the ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament, or NIT this season—was a strong enough punishment. So they just handed 'Cuse a stronger one.

In addition to the postseason ban, the NCAA has suspended Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim for the first nine ACC games of the 2015-16 college basketball season. They have also stripped Syracuse of 12 scholarships over the next four years. And they have announced that Syracuse will have to vacate all wins that were earned when ineligible men's basketball players took part in games during the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11, and 2011-12 seasons.

"During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement," the NCAA announced in a statement released earlier today. "Although the head basketball coach cited NCAA rules meetings with compliance staff and other initiatives, he operated under assumptions and did not follow up with his staff and students to ensure compliance."

The rules violations include everything from academic misconduct to failure to follow the drug testing policy that Syracuse has in place. And it's worth noting that Syracuse basically brought the entire NCAA investigation on itself by self-reporting several violations to the NCAA in 2007.

Whatever the case, it's clear that the penalties are going to have a big impact on Syracuse both now and in the future.

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[via ESPN]

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