Thanks for the clarification! Now, can you explain that a bit? TIA
BTW, I still can't get the explanation that Rose was ruled ineligible and Maggette never was ruled ineligible so Memphis was punished but Duke was not.
Prior to 2013-2014, the Eligibility Center did not evaluate the validity of entrance exam scores. They merely confirmed receipt of a qualifying test score and the burden, and therefore risk, of assuring that a score was valid sat squarely with the testing agency and schools.
In other words, when people say the NCAA “cleared” Derrick Rose, they’re either being intellectually dishonest or they’re ignorant of how the initial eligibility process worked. The NCAA didn’t “clear” anything. It was a purely transactional process where all culpability rested with the school, hence the very proscribed penalties.
Starting in 2013-2014, the NCAA instituted a test score validation process in response to situations like that of Rose’s SAT. The NCAA was now scrutinizing athletes’ test scores and would proactively notify the testing agencies if they suspected a potential issue. The testing agencies could then initiate their own investigation if they agreed with the NCAA’s suspicion.
More importantly, the new process included a stated policy that the NCAA would not delay eligibility certification despite a potential issue with a test score. So in the case of Jones, the NCAA dug Into his test score, red flagged it as suspicious and notified the testing agency so that they could investigate. The NCAA then essentially told UNLV that “we have concerns that Jones’ test score might be fraudulent, however, we are going to certify his eligibility anyway.”
This change resulted in a shift in penalties for two reasons. One, the NCAA now shared some measure of culpability for any erroneous certifications. Two, there was a recognition that the new process potentially put schools into a terrible Catch-22 where the NCAA was saying the athlete was eligible and that there was also a known eligibility issue. So things like the NLI are now valid but the school can’t risk letting them play. The approach to penalties became more nuanced to account for this, and rightfully so.