No bowl for Mizzou, NCAA upholds ban and other sanctions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mizzou did not get the news it wanted on Tuesday.

The NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee upheld the school’s punishments, including the postseason ban for the Tiger football, baseball and softball teams, sources confirmed to 41 Action News.

The NCAA later announced its ruling and the decision making process behind it.

The news was first reported by Gabe DeArmond of Power Mizzou.

The punishment also includes three years of probation as well as recruiting restrictions.

This is all a result of MU’s and the NCAA’s investigation into academic misconduct. In 2016, a tutor at Mizzou completed school work for 12 student athletes.

The NCAA first announced its punishment in January and Mizzou officially filed its appeal in March.

Tuesday, University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Director of Athletics Jim Sterk issued a joint statementon the NCAA's decision, saying it is "not consistent with precedent or even common sense."

"Today’s decision raises serious questions about whether the current NCAA enforcement system encourages or discourages cultures of compliance and integrity. While we have exhausted our NCAA appeal avenues, we will continue to advocate for meaningful reform within the NCAA enforcement process," the statement read. "About 180 student-athletes who had nothing to do with the actions of one rogue part-time employee will pay a steep price."

Missouri lawmakers were quick to blast the NCAA decision.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt condemned the ruling saying, "the facts in this case clearly do not support these unfair, unwarranted sanctions. The University of Missouri did the right thing by self-reporting the actions of the tutor and a small number of players."

State Senator Caleb Rowden sent a letter to the NCAA about the ruling.

In it, he called the organization "a wolf in sheep's clothing that values self-interest over the well being of their member institutions and their students."

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