Syracuse self-imposes postseason ban amid NCAA investigation
Syracuse has imposed a postseason ban for its men's basketball team this season in response to an ongoing NCAA investigation.
The school announced Wednesday it will sit out the NCAA tournament, ACC tournament and the NIT.
The NCAA investigation was prompted in 2007, when the Orange self-reported possible violations. The nature of the possible violations have not been revealed.
"As a further means of acknowledging past mistakes, the university notified the NCAA that it will be voluntarily withholding the men's basketball team from post-season competition following the current 2014-15 season," the school said in a release.
Head coach Jim Boeheim included his support for the decision in the statement.
"Our players have faced adversity and challenges before," said Boeheim. "I know they will rise to this challenge by keeping our program strong and continuing to make our university proud."
The statement noted that none of the conduct involved in the violations occurred after 2012, and the ban does not reflect any of the basketball team's current players.
"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," said Orange captains Rakeem Christmas, Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije in a separate statement.
In addition to the postseason ban, the school also self-imposed other penalties that will be revealed when the NCAA's Committee on Infractions releases its final report. There's no timeline for the report's release.
The NCAA investigation is also looking at the Orange's football program, according to ESPN. Football head coach Scott Shafer and Boeheim were summoned to a hearing before the infractions committee in October.
"My greatest disappointment is for the players who will be affected by this outcome even though they were not involved," said the school's director of athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. "I am also mindful of the passionate and loyal members of Orange Nation who look forward to post-season play. In the end, I am confident our program will continue to compete at the highest national level and remain strong."
The 15-7 Orange take on Pittsburgh on Saturday.