Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross resigns, will remain with university

A bombshell of an announcement was made at Syracuse on Wednesday.

Athletic director Daryl Gross is stepping down 12 days after the NCAA dropped its hammer on the school's athletic department. 

Gross, who was named to the position in 2005, will remain with the school, serving as vice president and special assistant to the chancellor, and adjunct professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Chancellor Kent Syverud announced that he has appointed Peter Sala, senior associate director of athletics for facilities and the managing director of the Carrier Dome, to serve as the interim athletic director. 

Syverud also enlisted Floyd Little, special assistant to the athletics director, to counsel Sala during the term.

After self-imposing a postseason ban, the school was hit with a strong punishment from the NCAA earlier this month for a series of violations that occurred over a 10-year period. 

The Orange were punished for a failure to monitor their athletics programs, resulting in five years probation, financial penalties, reduced scholarships and vacated wins.

The violations included circumventing academic, drug testing and illegal benefits policies.

It was also announced longtime men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim intends to step down from the program in three years.