The big news out of the NCAA's proverbial courthouse on Thursday was the long-awaited punishment for former LSU basketball coach Will Wade. He of the "strong-ass offer" quote, recorded during the FBI's investigation into college basketball, was hit with a 10-game suspension, a 2-year show-cause, and various recruiting restrictions (Wade is now the head coach at McNeese).
Included within that announcement: three violations against the Tigers' football program. The infractions include one Level I (most serious), one Level II, and one Level III.
The Level I violation dates all the way back to 2012 and stretches well beyond college football. Former Tigers donor John Paul Funes was sentenced back in 2019 to 33 months in federal prison for embezzling money from a hospital that, in part, went to the father of former Tigers offensive lineman Vadal Alexander. James Alexander was paid $180,000 as part of the scheme.
The Level II violation stems from the aftermath of the 2019 national championship game, played in January 2020, when Odell Beckham, Jr., literally handed cash to Tigers players on the floor of the Superdome immediately after the game.
Finally, the Level III violation stems from Ed Orgeron's impermissible contact with a 2020 recruit in January 2019.
Since LSU self-imposed penalties related to all three violations (vacating 37 wins in which Alexander played, banning Beckham from its facilities for two years, a 2020 postseason ban, vacating eight scholarships, a $5,000 fine), the NCAA Independent Resolution Panel handed down a 3-year probation for Tiger football.
The kicker? The probation is back dated and ends Sept. 21, 2023 -- three months from yesterday.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.