Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel Suspended

Withholding Information

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has been suspended by OSU for the first two games of next season and fined $250,000 for withholding information about his players’ involvement in selling football memorabilia in exchange for benefits. As you may recall in my article “Suspended Players Lead Ohio State to Bowl Victory,” five OSU players, including QB Terrelle Pryor, were suspended for the first five games of the 2011-2012 NCAA season but were still allowed to play in Sugar Bowl against Arkansas after it was found that they violated NCAA rules. Now, it has been discovered that months before the NCAA found out about the players selling their football items, their coach found out about it and decided not to report it to the school nor the NCAA, hoping that everything would disappear and his star players could remain on the field.

Suspended Players Lead Ohio State to Bowl Victory

OSU Suspensions

On December 26 five Ohio State University football players were suspended for selling championship rings, jerseys, and awards in addition to receiving improper benefits. QB Terrelle Pryor, RB Dan Herron, WR DeVier Posey, OT Mike Adams, and DE Solomon Thomas are suspended the first five games of the 2011-12 NCAA football season. These five include OSU’s top passer (Pryor), top 2 rushers (Herron, Pryor), and #2 receiver (Posey) from this season.

The controversy occurred on the decision to suspend the players for next season, but not for Ohio State’s BCS Bowl Game against #8 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, which took place January 4 and resulted in a 31-26 OSU win. These athletes were recognized for breaking rules, but their punishments