The N.C.A.A. on Friday announced that it “could not conclude that the University of North Carolina violated N.C.A.A. academic rules” in what is widely considered the worst academic scandal in college sports history.
The organization, which governs the top tier of college sports in the United States, did not levy any penalties against North Carolina athletics.
Given that the university’s athletic department could have faced severe sanctions, including the loss of championships, the N.C.A.A.’s determination was a major victory for North Carolina.
The N.C.A.A. did not dispute that a major academic fraud had occurred over several years, but its committee on infractions, which empowered a panel to investigate, concluded it did not have the power to punish the university.
“While student-athletes likely benefited from the so-called ‘paper courses’ offered by North Carolina, the information available in the record did not establish that the courses were solely created, offered and maintained as an orchestrated effort to benefit student-athletes,” said Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, who led the panel.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/sports/unc-north-carolina-ncaa.html