Mississippi State Hit with Two Years' Probation

Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen can breathe a sigh of relief that his program escaped the wrath of the NCAA.

This all came about because of a booster and a former assistant coach who gave benefits such as cash and cars to recruits.

State did get two years' probation with a loss of a few scholarships over that two year period, but it could have been worse. What helped the Bulldogs was the self-imposed sanctions that they had already put in place.

Here are the sanctions levied by the NCAA:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Two years of probation from 7 June 2013 through 6 June 2015.
• A one-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach, which prevents him from recruiting activities and booster interaction. The public report contains further details.
• A reduction of the number of official visits to 39, from the four-year average of 41, for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years (Self-imposed by the university).
• A reduction of the number of recruiting days during the spring evaluation period by four, from 168 to 164, for the 2013-14 academic year (Self-imposed by the university).
• A reduction in the number of total scholarships by two, from 85 to 83, for the 2012-13 academic year (Self-imposed by the university).
• A reduction in the number of initial and total scholarships by two, from 25 to 23 and 85 to 83, respectively, for the 2013-14 academic year (Self-imposed by the university).
• For the first two conference contests of the 2013 season, complimentary admissions to football recruits will be prohibited (Self-imposed by the university).
• Disassociation of the booster by the university’s athletics program. Details of the disassociation can be found in the public report (Self-imposed by the university).

The only people who might have been upset that State wasn't punished more are Ole Miss fans.