THE University of CENTRAL Florida Joins the Big Time: NCAA levies sanctions for recruiting violations

As a proud graduate of THE University of CENTRAL Florida--yes, you can finish albeit at the 3rd school attended: getting expelled for drunken vandalism from first, padding grade point average at community college, a cervical fracture, a year and half at UCF including a great summer term including college work study the library--have watched the progress of athletics program from small time in 1983 to NCAA Division I with mixture of pride and scepticism.


Pride comes from having a university that can have rivalries with other schools and not just as creampuff teams to pay and beat down.  So goodbye Memphis and my buddy Jeff Tibbals, graduate and rocket scientist and hello University of South FL, incongruously located on t west coast of FL, and Jim Dowling geographer and former co-worker.


Nevertheless, at what price comes success?


Today, the NCAA announced sanctions: probation and ban from bowl game bans for the men's football team and probation and no NCAA tournament for the male basketball team, both for 1 year


A local sports announcer just opined that it could have resulted in worse punishment.


Yes, that makes me feel prouder.


Along the way, we had the death of a human being, killed trying to play football, dying during conditioning drills with coaches yelling at him to get up: Ereck Plancher.


Yes, that makes me prouder.


Also, university leaders decided the University needed an on campus football stadium, further angering area residents with abominable traffic and preventing fans like myself downtown from getting to games, perhaps legitimately abandoning dilapidated Citrus Bowl stadium downtown but further separating themselves from the actual city of Orlando.


They built the stadium with private funds from private donors.  Later as Republican dominated state legislature gave questionable tax breaks to businesses and cut taxes on rich folks, all state universities had budgets dramatically cut.  At UCF, no private donors and dollars came forth to prevent cancelling of classes.


Yes, that makes me proud.


So yes, we at UCF made the athletic big time, getting sanctioned like the rest of big boys.  At least, we got busted for routine recruiting violations the rest of 'em do too.  No Penn State stuff here, nosiree, just plain ol' cheatin', dadgummit.


UCF pride indeed.


(Check back later for updates: more links and maybe editing above incorrect account above of basketball sanctions; I'm a trifle angry--the clock struck 6:30 so must commence happy hour adjustment.  Cynicism hurts a bit less with a couple o' beers.

To the bar!)

Dateline actually should read west Bithlo:

[ORLANDO, Fla. —


Central Florida will have to sit out the postseason for a year in men's basketball and football under sanctions the NCAA handed down Tuesday, adding to penalties the school self-imposed after major recruiting violations were uncovered last year in both programs.


UCF also was cited for ''a lack of institutional control'' and fined $50,000.


The penalties were in addition to adding two years to UCF's previously proposed three years' probation, vacating basketball victories, a reduction in basketball scholarships and tighter limits on football recruiting visiting days.]http://www.wftv.com/news/sports/college/ucf-may-face-more-sanctions-ncaa/nP7H7/