Oklahoma State Gets Probation for Recruiting, Drug-Policy Violations

Nearly two years after a five-part Sports Illustrated investigative report revealed a number of infractions within the Oklahoma State University football program, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the school Friday.  

According to Emily James of NCAA.org, the Division I Committee on Infractions panel disciplined Oklahoma State, while the school self-imposed some punishments as well.

Per Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated, the sanctions include probation for one year, a limit on official recruiting visits over the next two years and the removal of the Orange Pride program from recruiting activities:

The Orange Pride program is an all-female group at Oklahoma State against which many accusations were levied in SI's report, with arguably the biggest being: "Multiple former players and Orange Pride members say that a small subset of the group had sex with recruits." In the wake of that, it has been determined that the group's involvement in recruiting was a violation.

Also, according to James, the university was fined $5,000 as well as an additional $3,500 since it violated its own drug-testing policy by allowing ineligible players to compete. OSU was fined $500 for each game in which those student-athletes participated.

Based on how significant the infractions are, NFL.com's Bryan Fischer doesn't believe the punishment fits the crime:

Although the sanctions will limit the Cowboys to some degree, they are short-term impositions that likely won't do much to damage the program.

NCAA discipline will always draw scrutiny, and this decision is the latest for fans and analysts to debate over.

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