Syracuse announces self-imposed post-season ban for the 2014-15 men's basketball season

Syracuse University has initiated a self-imposed post-season ban for the 2014-15 men’s basketball season as part of its case pending before the NCAA Committee on Infractions, according to a release by Syracuse Athletics on Wednesday afternoon.

The ban includes the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and all other post-season tournaments, namely the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament and the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

According to the release, the ban is accompanied by other self-imposed punishments that the NCAA Committee on Infractions will make public when it issues a final report on the case. Syracuse appeared before the committee in October.

The case began when SU alerted the NCAA to potential violations within the Athletics Department in 2007. No current student athlete is involved in the investigation.

In an email to Syracuse University students, faculty and staff, Chancellor Kent Syverud said he made the decision after consultation with the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee and with the support of Director of Athletics Daryl Gross and head coach Jim Boeheim.

Syverud added the following:

Syracuse’s history demonstrates a strong commitment to integrity, responsibility and fairness, values I have personally observed in practice many times since becoming Chancellor last year. The University has taken this matter seriously and worked with the NCAA for nearly eight years to investigate and address potential rules violations. The process has been exhaustive. 

We have taken responsibility for past violations and worked hard to ensure they are not repeated. We believe these voluntary sanctions are consistent with those imposed on other NCAA schools in similar cases. I have included below a copy of the University announcement that will be issued shortly. 

I am disappointed for our current men’s basketball players who must shoulder this post-season ban as a result of things that occurred years ago. I also recognize that not participating in post-season play will be disappointing for you and other Orange supporters. However, we look forward to moving past this matter and I am confident the men’s basketball program will be strong and successful both on the court and in the classroom in the years ahead.

The university is unable to provide additional details regarding the NCAA case because it has not concluded.

Team captains Rakeem Christmas, Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije released the following statement:

We are all tremendously disappointed that we are going to miss out on playing in the postseason based on issues that do not involve us. However, we support our school and this won't change how hard we will continue to work in practice and in games.