NCAA Slaps Baylor With Stiff Penalties: NCAA officials decided upon a punishment to fit the crimes committed by Baylor during the tenure of former coach Dave Bliss. They placed the Bears under probation for five years and banned the team from playing non-conference games for one season. The school opted to enact the latter penalty this season, meaning the Bears have almost no chance of playing in the post-season because they will have fewer opportunities to build an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume.
The Bears’ tribulations started under Bliss when former player Carlton Dotson shot and killed teammate Patrick Dennehy. Dotson was recently sentenced to 35 years in prison. Based on that event, NCAA officials looked at Baylor’s program and found a number of major violations. For example, Bliss and three assistants paid student athletes and recruits thousands of dollars. They also donated money to amateur teams that included Baylor recruits. [6/24/05]
