NCAA won't rule on UCF appeal until January, Knights eligible for postseason

The NCAA won't rule on UCF's postseason ban appeal until at least Jan. 24, making the Knights eligible for the postseason, a source close to the football program told the Orlando Sentinel today.

The NCAA does not impose punishment during pending appeals.

As a result, the Knights are eligible to compete for a Conference USA title and appear in a bowl game. If the NCAA appeals committee upholds the postseason ban, UCF would be forced to sit out the postseason during the 2013 season, its first year in the Big East.

UCF coach George O'Leary confirmed the news during his weekly press conference around noon.

"I was told last week that the hearing will be Jan. 24, which that?s what I I thought it would be," O'Leary said. "I think it?s great news for our team, it?s great news for our fan base."

The Knights were hit with hefty sanctions after the NCAA's Committee on Infractions determined the school committed major recruiting infractions and suffered from a "loss of institutional control." UCF athletics director Keith Tribble and wide receivers coach David Kelly were forced to resign after the NCAA accused them of lying to investigators, a charge both men deny.

UCF officials accepted a long list of sanctions, including a men's basketball postseason ban and scholarship reductions in football and men's basketball.

However, UCF President John Hitt opted to appeal the football ban because school leaders felt the punishment was excessive. He noted UCF gained no competitive advantage in football from the rules infractions and the sole person involved in the football violations -- Kelly -- was immediately removed from the program.

Hitt told the Sentinel in August the school sought an expedited appeal process with the hope of getting an answer before the start of the 2012 postseason, but the NCAA just confirmed the process would not be wrapped up until January.

O'Leary said the decision did not have a large impact on the day-to-day of the football team but did deliver a message to the team when he learned of the hearing date.

"They?re just reassured that there?s nothing in our way except ourselves," O'Leary said. "I think that?s what I said to them is that, hey, right now everything that?s on the table is there and we just got to keep going after the things we need to go after."

UCF moves to the Big East, a league with an automatic qualifying Bowl Championship Series bid. It will be the final year of the BCS postseason format and likely represents the Knights' best shot at earning a coveted spot in a BCS game without having to post an undefeated record.

Hitt, UCF athletic director Todd Stansbury and O'Leary all said the decision to appeal was worth the risk.

"We think it's the right thing to do to stand up for the program," Hitt said of the appeal. "We'll take what comes on that."?

Check back for more updates soon.

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Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-ucf-ncaa-appeal-ruling-january-20121023,0,5254488.story?track=rss

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