UConn Men's Basketball Tries Self-Imposed Punishment to Avoid Tournament Ban

Update: Friday, Feb. 10 at 3:53 EST by Ryan Rudnansky

According to the New Haven Register, Connecticut was informed by the NCAA on Friday that its waiver request had been denied.

Connecticut will now appeal the decision to the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance Subcommittee on Appeals.

UConn president Susan Herbst said on Friday after the NCAA's decision, via the Register:

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“We are deeply disappointed that our request for a waiver was denied, but we look forward to continuing in the process. We continue to believe that we have made a very compelling case in our waiver to the NCAA and we are pleased with the recent outstanding academic success of our men’s basketball student-athletes.

“I want to be clear that during my entire career as a scholar and a teacher, I have been in full support of high academic standards in collegiate athletics. However, in this case, there are good students who could be penalized for the problematic behavior of students who have not been enrolled for years."

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The University of Connecticut is desperate to keep their team clear of postseason bans and have taken a major step in doing so on Wednesday with their proposal sent to the NCAA.

The proposal will reduce the number of games it will play in next year’s regular season if the NCAA grants them the ability to play in the 2013 postseason, according to the Associated Press.

In a document obtained by the AP, the school has proposed a deal where they will forfeit the revenue awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament. They will reduce the number of regular season games next year from 27 to 23, and head coach Jim Calhoun will be barred from meeting recruits during the upcoming fall period.

It’s the most severe penalty they could get without losing any scholarships or postseason games. So is it that harsh? Reading the message from the school sure makes you think so:

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Collectively, the university’s proposal will clearly send the message that the institution fully accepts the responsibility for past failings. It will result in the economic equivalent of a postseason ban without harming the very students the NCAA is trying to protect.

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The Huskies are in trouble for not meeting the economic standards required by the NCAA for its student athletes (per CBS), so they also plan on tightening up their academic standards significantly, according to the AP.

The plan is to make the academic standards tougher for incoming freshmen, and they have to maintain a higher GPA throughout their collegiate school while getting suspended for missing more than three classes during an academic year.  

The NCAA has yet to respond to today’s proposal.