Students: NCAA penalties too harsh

University of Alabama students reacted to the NCAA penalties imposed Thursday on the UA athletics department, the football program in particular, and most thought the punishment exceeded the crime.

UA senior Ty Brackin said he was surprised by the NCAA’s ruling in the textbook disbursement case.

“I just think it really sucks that because a couple of players just kind of did their own thing, the entire team is getting punished. I think it could have been [handled] in-house. I think the NCAA’s response was a little too big,” Brackin said.

Brackin and several other students, however, thought the sanctions would have been less severe if UA administrators and coaches had handled the matter differently.

“I think [Alabama football coach Nick] Saban should have taken care of the situation by suspending some of the players for the entire season, some type of game suspension for the individual players, and not punishing an entire team and having to vacate wins that the entire team fought for when there were just a few people messing around and not doing what they were supposed to,” he said.

Senior Lindsey Rickard, the team manager of the UA women’s tennis team, said UA has developed a new textbook policy, but that what is permissible is still unclear.

“There was definitely some confusion among the athletes about what they could and couldn’t do, especially the freshman who were new to the policies,” she said.

Rickard acknowledged that the student-athletes are responsible for their actions, but said coaches and administrators are partly to blame because they weren’t upfront about the policy.

“I think the textbook issue is a responsibility that the coaches and administrators should make very clear. I’m always making sure that I can do things. There are so many regulations on student-athletes. This is just one more thing,” she said.

UA student Sarah King felt that Alabama’s punishment was just. King recalled an NCAA violation at Virginia Military Institute where scholarship athletes were given books and then sold them back. She said a basketball player who was at fault was kicked off the team and lost his eligibility.

“The reason ... was for not upholding school ethics. I feel like Alabama doesn’t focus on that. It’s more on punishing the team as a whole,” King said.

King said that because VMI handled the violations on an individual player basis, the NCAA didn’t step in.

“The player lost both his season and his eligibility to play at any other school. That pretty much ended his basketball career. There are always upstanding people on the teams, but there are also athletes who will do what they want,” she said.

Student Josh Aycox said he was relieved the punishment wasn’t more severe.

“I was surprised to hear about it since we just got off probation and we’re back on it again,” he said.

Most of the students interviewed were concerned mainly about the football team.

“I think the NCAA comes down a little harder on Alabama and keeps an eye on them more than anyone else. I think it’s here now because we’re on the [upswing] and are trying to rebuild our program,” Brackin said.

Micah McDaniel viewed Alabama’s punishment as a means to keep the school down.

“From a student opinion, I’ve got two years left, and I don’t like it because we need a national championship while I’m still here,” he said.