Overtime

That sound you hear in the distance is the NCAA throwing the book at LSU. 

If you haven’t read the 17-page notice of allegations that LSU released to media outlets who requested it, you should. 

The only conclusion you can draw after perusing it, is that the hammer is fixing to come down in Baton Rouge. 

The University was cited for the dreaded “lack of institutional control” for its football and men’s basketball programs. 

And, not just for a year or two, but for more than eight. 

Beyond what was already reported about fired men’s basketball coach Will Wade being caught on an FBI wiretap discussing an offer to a recruit, Wade was accused of litany of Level One infractions. 

Among those are paying hush money to a person who was familiar with the scheme to pay players. 

On the 27th of July 2017, the former fiancée of a student-athlete sent Wade a text message.  

“I need five more to put a down payment on a car. Put it in the same account.”

When the individual said five, she didn’t mean five dollars. 

Wade’s associate head coach is accused of offering a perspective recruit 300 thousand dollars. 

Wade is accused of stonewalling the investigation for 13 months, refusing to turn over 130,000 images of his digital devices. 

Eventually, the NCAA says only 60,000 were turned in. 

The notice of allegations cited aggravating factors including three prior major violations in 1986, 1998 and 2011. 

The NCAA also cited mitigating factors such as prompt acknowledgement of violations, acceptance of responsibility and a history of self-reporting Level III or secondary violations. 

Since Wade was fired, I have read the comments on social media. 

“Everybody cheats.” 

“Too bad this all happened before NIL (name, image, likeness).” 

These same things are being said by many of the same people who were confident that the NCAA did not have much on Will Wade, and that somehow he would keep his job. 

On the school’s athletic website, LSU said that firing Wade and Armstrong was not an acknowledgement of agreement with any of the violations. 

What should LSU do now? 

Exactly what it is doing. 

Say nothing publicly. 

New football coach Brian Kelly already has it figured out. 

On signing day in February, he didn’t have a press conference. 

Since he was hired in December, Kelly has been in front of the media once.

He has been professional, measured and distant. 

As for basketball, a post-season ban is likely coming. 

LSU has been down this road before. 

In 1997, the school hired John Brady, who in three years had LSU in the sweet 16. 

Six years later, LSU went to its first Final Four since 1986. 

Director of Athletics Scott Woodward will again turn to page one of his hiring coach’s playbook. 

That is, find a high profile name, and throw a boat load of cash at them. 

Basketball will be back, but not before the NCAA has its say. 

In the meantime, the forecast in Baton Rouge is, 90 percent chance of storms, likely severe.