The NCAA on Thursday erased Georgia Tech's victory over Clemson in the ACC football championship game two seasons ago, scolding the school for a "failure to cooperate" in an investigation of rules violations and slapping it with four years' probation and a $100,000 fine.
"This case," the NCAA's infractions committee said in its report, "provides a cautionary tale of conduct that member institutions should avoid while under investigation."
The ACC followed the NCAA's announcement by stripping Georgia Tech of its conference title.
"We are aware of the NCAA's decision with regard to Georgia Tech. The penalties that have been announced will require Georgia Tech to vacate the 2009 ACC Football Championship," ACC commissioner John Swofford said. "Consistent with NCAA procedures, Georgia Tech will return the championship trophy and the official conference records for 2009 will not designate a champion. All ACC record books will be amended accordingly."
The NCAA said a Tech staff member tipped off an unidentified football player in advance of an interview by investigators. That "impeded the investigation and hindered efforts to get to the truth in the case," it said.
The NCAA also admonished the school for not holding another football player who had accepted improper extra benefits -- approximately $312 worth of clothing -- from the final three games of the 2009 season. Georgia Tech lost the first of those to Georgia to close out the regular season, then beat Clemson 39-34 in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. The Jackets went on to lose to Iowa in the Orange Bowl.
The clothing came from an agent's representative, the NCAA said.
"It appeared to the committee that the institution attempted to manipulate the information surrounding potential violations involving (the player) so there would be enough doubt about its validity to justify the decision not to declare him ineligible," the infractions panel wrote, noting that the decision to allow him to play belied information provided by a teammate, assistant coach and the guilty player, himself.
"Georgia Tech is committed to the integrity of its athletics program, including full cooperation and support of the NCAA," said Georgia Tech President G.P. "Bud" Peterson said in a statement. "Given the information we had at the time, I believe we took reasonable and appropriate steps to determine the proper course of action and acted in good faith. Looking back, there are things we could have done differently. Because of our unwavering commitment to NCAA compliance, we have already taken a number of steps to address perceived shortcomings, hopefully ensuring that our programs remain beyond reproach."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported two former players denied being involved in the violations. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said he was offered benefits while at Georgia Tech, but did not accept them. Defensive back Morgan Burnett denied he was involved in the violations, saying in a text he "did not knowingly or unknowingly receive any gifts from any agents ? These reports are baseless and false."
Georgia Tech's violations extended to men's basketball and an amateur tournament held on its campus, and the school self-imposed recruiting restrictions during this summer's evaluation period.
Tech drew two years' NCAA probation, scholarship cuts and other sanctions in 2005 in another case revolving around the use of 17 academically ineligible players, 11 of them in football. The school thus was treated as a repeat violator, the association said Thursday.
See photos of: NCAA
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