I guess I'm a little surprised Notre Dame is as upset as they are about the penalty. I mean, I get they don't want to vacate wins, but on the same sense, there's no postseason ban, a fine they'll have to make change to pay, and probation. I get the the fact it doesn't jive with precedent, but it's also not like it really affects the program.
That said, if there is no proof that the trainer was being paid to do this or that the staff had knowledge he was doing this, I guess I don't get why the NCAA is insisting on vacating the wins. I mean, it sounds like the athletes were talking to the trainer and just said they needed help on their stuff and the trainer offered to do it for them, not like Gangelhoff where she was getting paid by Clem on the side.
I'm sure something like that happens at every school every day. I know I might have "referenced" a few buddies' papers when I did my homework...
Not sure the other 100 or so kids that weren't doing that should be punished based on that...
Though Brian Kelly comes off as a jerk when he says it doesn't concern him. I'd love the NCAA to just hammer them with a lack of institutional control death penalty just based on that statement.
Of course, that university could also fall off the face of the earth and I'd be just fine with it...