Saturday, May 9, 2009

FSU Heading To State Supreme Court

Sources close to the Athletic Department at Florida State University have told OSG Sports that the University plans to take their case challenging the NCAA to the Florida State Supreme Court for appeal and evaluation.

Steve Ellis of the Tallahassee Democrat caught up with TK Wetherell mid-week and here's the Q&A on that particular issue before sources disclosed that particular wrinkle in the Seminoles gambit...

How long do you expect the appeal process (on the NCAA vacating wins penalty) to go?

Wetherell: “I think they get 30 days (to respond) and we get some kind of response. Then I think the infractions committee gets a response and we get a response to that response. So it's probably in the middle of the summer is my guess.”

What did you think of the appeal (report)?

Wetherell: “If you read that thing it’s pretty darn compelling to me. “We had an understanding with the NCAA. It’s just that simple. … I think it’s fair game to debate how many scholarships, how long the probation and all of that. But all of this eligibility stuff, that was a very clear understanding. “Nobody went down that path without a total understanding. I don’t know if anybody has ever gone to Indianapolis (during the process of determining student-athletes suspensions ) and sit down for four hours and say – ‘All right, let’s all work through it together so we all have the right deals.’ “That’s what frosts me about it.”

The other issue is the funding (for the NCAA process and appeal).

Wetherell: “This is all private money…"

Those of us at OSG HQ think that, regardless of how this ends up, it's the end of the Bowden Era- whenever that ends.

The case will go from the State Supreme Court to the US Supreme Court.
It will get kicked back. They aren't going to want anything to do with it.
The Seminoles and the NCAA will haggle, hem, and haw but the end is nigh.
If the wins are taken off the books in football, there is really no reason for Coach Bowden to hang around two years AFTER Joe Paterno thinks he's going to retire to make up the difference.
Even if Bowden knew nothing of what went on- which is a very distinct and real possibility- it still falls on his head and on his watch in the eyes of the NCAA.
And that's where everything ends- Indianapolis.

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