NCAA Death Penalty

From Hoopedia

The "death penalty" refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) power to force United States academic institutions not to compete in certain sports. It is the most severe punishment that a school can receive. It has only been implemented twice--against the University of Kentucky basketball program for the 1952-53 season (before the current criteria for the "death penalty" took effect) and against the Southern Methodist University football program for the 1987 season.

Current criteria

The "death penalty" is currently a punishment under the NCAA's "repeat violator" rule. Since the 1970s, if a second major violation occurs at any institution within five years of being on probation in the same sport or another sport, that institution is barred from competing in the sport involved in the second violation for either one or two seasons.

Kentucky Basketball, 1952-53

On October 20, 1951--in the midst of one of the most serious point shaving scandals in college basketball history--former Kentucky basketball players Alex Groza, Ralph Beard and Dale Barnstable were arrested for taking money from gamblers to shave points during the 1948-49 season. Ironically, the Wildcats won their second straight national title in that season. In addition, senior center Bill Spivey was charged with perjury for refusing to testify against his teammates.

Groza, Beard and Barnstable pleaded guilty to taking $1,500 in bribes in return for shaving points in a 1949 National Invitational Tournament game against Loyola University of Chicago. The Wildcats were favored by 10 points going into that game, but lost 67-56. At that time, teams were allowed to participate in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments.

Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp responded by barring Spivey from playing in the 1952-53 season. It was to no avail, as NCAA executive director Walter Byers ordered Kentucky to cancel its season.

Fallout

Unlike most of the other programs ensnared by the point-shaving scandal, Kentucky was not permanently crippled. Within two years, the Wildcats were back in the NCAA Tournament.

In November 1951, NBA President Maurice Podoloff barred all the players involved in the scandal from the league for life, including Groza and Beard. Groza and Beard had been the stars of the Indianapolis Olympians, a charter member of the NBA, and the ban directly led to the Olympians' folding at the end of the 1952-53 season.