Ole Miss self-imposes 1-year football postseason ban [video]

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson (20) celebrates with teammates after a 29-28 win over Texas A&M in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson (20) celebrates with teammates after a 29-28 win over Texas A&M in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

Ole Miss will self-impose a one-year postseason bowl ban for 2017 after the school received a notice of allegations from the NCAA amid reports of misconduct by the football program.

The new accusations - eight in all - bring the total of allegations against the Rebels football program to 21. An earlier notice back in 2016 contained 13 football-related charges.

In light of the new allegations, the school announced Wednesday that it was imposing the bowl ban in addition to previously announced self-imposed penalties, including the reduction of 11 scholarships (one from 2015, two from 2016 and four from 2017 and 2018 incoming classes).

Under the postseason ban, the school must forfeit its portion of the SEC postseason football revenue for next year. The Rebels' share is expected to be about 7.8 million.

Ole Miss Chancellor Jeff Vitter, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Ross Bjork and football coach Hugh Freeze address new allegations by the NCAA in a video Wednesday afternoon.

"We announce today that the NCAA enforcement staff's investigation of football has now concluded, and that earlier today, our outside legal counsel received the university's Notice of Allegations dealing with the football program. Throughout the more than four-year investigation, the University of Mississippi has been committed to seeking the truth," Ole Miss Chancellor Jeff Vitter said in a video response releases Wednesday afternoon.

"While we vigorously disagree with some key allegations, and while we have had our differences on occasion with the NCAA about how the investigative process, I want to thank everyone involved - here and at the NCAA - for working with us to bring this phase of the process to an end."

Some of the new allegations the school revealed include:

1) A recruit went hunting near campus on private land owned by a booster during his official visit in 2013 and on two or three occasions after he enrolled, and that the access to this land was arranged by the football program. This has been alleged as a Level III violation.

2) Between March 2014 and January 2015, a former Ole Miss staff member arranged for 'lodging and transportation' for a recruit and his companions on several visits to campus and for the transportation of another recruit on one occasion.

3) A former member of the staff violated NCAA rules when 'he knowingly committed NCAA recruiting violations between March 2014 and February 2015 and when he knowingly provided false or misleading information to the institution and enforcement staff in 2016.' This is charged as a Level I violation.

In a fourth allegation, the school agrees there is evidence to support some - but not all - of the events alleged.

4) Between April 2014 and February 2015, a former staff member initiated and facilitated contact between two boosters and a recruit who would later become a student at the school. Those boosters provided impermissible cash payments to the athlete with the alleged value of $13,000 to $15,000.

"Chancellor Vitter, Coach Freeze and I met with our football team and football staff and informed them of the postseason decision," Bjork said. "As you might imagine, this was difficult news to share with our young men and coaches. They will pay a price for the actions of a few, but I am confident that we will rebound from this adversity because of the strong foundation already in place. The future of our athletics program will continue to be determined by our commitment to core values combined with a positive attitude and hard work."

The notice of allegations by the NCAA also states a lack of institutional control by the university and in particular Freeze, an accusation that both the school and the coach vehemently deny.

"From the moment I arrived in December 2011, I have emphasized to all of my staff that our program is founded on certain core values - faith, attitude, mental toughness, integrity and love. Integrity - doing things the right way. I am extremely disappointed to learn that any member of my staff violated any SEC or NCAA rules, and as the head coach, I regret those actions," Freeze said.

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