North Carolina Football: NCAA Finally Set to Levy Sanctions on Tar Heels

Well, folks, it is finally happening for the Tar Heels. On the day following a Selection Sunday that saw UNC lose the ACC Tournament championship game to Florida State, things are about to get even gloomier for the Tar Heels.

The NCAA has finally decided that the time is right to reveal the sanctions against the Heels. Today, a Monday in March, makes it some 20 months almost to the day since the investigation began in Chapel Hill in July 2010.

But, at 2:30 today, this should all come to an end, at least from the NCAA investigation standpoint.

What's coming down from the NCAA? Your guess is as good as any at this point. But if you've been paying attention, you shouldn't have high hopes for the Tar Heels. Ohio State, for far less egregious acts, ended up with a bowl ban and nine scholarships lost over three seasons.

The Heels already have already "self-imposed" nine scholarships lost over three seasons and two seasons of probation, so that's going to be the baseline for the NCAA.

Color me less optimistic than a lot of UNC folks. I don't the think the "cooperation" that UNC exhibited during the investigation is going to buy the Heels much leniency. Ultimately the cooperation only served to keep North Carolina from being more screwed than it would have been had it adopted a "prove it" policy with the NCAA. 

Keep in mind this isn't just tattoos or rims or some cash; the Heels have a multi-tiered violations problem on their hands. Academic fraud. Coach acting as a runner. Players talking with agents. Players accepting gifts from agents. 

This is heavy, people. Hold on to your socks in Chapel Hill because it does appear that a bowl ban is coming, that an increase in scholarship reductions in coming and that an extension of the probation is coming.

We'll keep you updated as the release gets sent out this afternoon. There will be plenty to discuss as coach Larry Fedora and his Tar Heels start spring ball on March 14th, right in the thick of the fall-out from the sanctions.