Oregon Football: NCAA Will Announce Ducks Fate on Infractions Wednesday at 8am PT

Tomorrow will be a big day in Oregon Ducks history. After twenty seven and a half months the Willie Lyles/Recruiting saga will come to a conclusion with the release of the NCAA’s report from the Committee on Infractions bright and early at 8am Pacific Time.

Apr, 27, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks players line up for the national anthem before the spring game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

According to the NCAA their usual time for resolution is 11 months on these types of cases. The fact that this has gone on for as long as it has could mean a few things, of which I’m not going to speculate. There were no ‘clues’ in the NCAA’s annoucement as to what was coming, just that they would release the report tomorrow morning at 8am Pacific Time in a teleconference.

Some quick background – in October of 2012 Oregon and the NCAA agreed to Summary Disposition, meaning that the Ducks had proposed some penalties and the NCAA said ‘ok, we’ll agree with those’ – only it was decided that that process would not go forward and there would be a hearing.

Rob Moseley from the Register Guard has more:

"The NCAA’s enforcement staff — essentially the prosecutor, while the Committee on Infractions was judge and jury — agreed during the summary disposition attempt that “the violations were not intentional in nature.” But it also argued that the Ducks nevertheless had “an obligation to ensure that the activities being engaged in comply with NCAA legislation.”In the summary disposition agreement, which the Committee on Infractions rejected in favor of a hearing, the Ducks offered to self-impose a set of sanctions that included one scholarship surrendered for each of two seasons; a reduction by one to the size of their recruiting class for one additional year; two years of probation; and limits on visits made by recruits to Oregon and by UO coaches to high schools.Oregon’s proposed penalties notably did not include a postseason ban. By holding a hearing, the Committee on Infractions retained the power to levy its own penalties, though it would be a surprise if they deviated significantly from the package the Ducks proposed."

"“Severe penalties based on no evidence of Oregon’s intention in the case would be a form of strict liability,” former NCAA compliance officer John Infante wrote on his Bylaw Blog last fall. “… On the flip side, letting Oregon off with a slap on the wrist would potentially gut a needed rule (albeit one that could be improved upon) in an area [the use of scouting services such as Lyles’] where regulation is needed.”"

Oregon learns it’s fate Wednesday morning – be near your computer at 7:30am and prepare for the Internet and Twitter to explode.

Here’s a look at Mississippi State’s ‘Recruiting Case’ resolution from June 7th. 

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