State to respond to NCAA

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
April 16, 2004
STARKVILLE Mississippi State will respond today to charges of major NCAA rules violations within its football program.
The response to allegations of misconduct within the program will draw the nearly three-year-old investigation close to its conclusion.
Mike Nemeth, MSU's director of athletics media relations, said on Thursday that the response will be published on a Web site, and that the site's address will be e-mailed to members of the media.
Mississippi State's response could be anything from a full admission of guilt to a denial of all charges. Far more likely, the university will admit to some violations and dispute others.
The NCAA, which does not comment in ongoing investigations, could issue a judgment and sanctions by the end of the month.
In similar cases over recent years, reductions of scholarships and postseason bowl bans have been the most common punishments.
Nemeth said he did not know what time the response would be made public.
After a lengthy investigation into the Bulldogs football program, Mississippi State received an official letter of inquiry from the NCAA in December. The letter named former head coach Jackie Sherrill and former assistants Jerry Fremin and Glenn Davis in its 13 charges, most of which centered on the coaching staff's recruiting practices.
Since the allegations stem back as far as 1998, Mississippi State could be treated as a repeat offender, which would almost certainly increase the severity of its punishment.