Oklahoma State came under fire fire after a special report from Sports Illustrated in September of 2013 documented improprieties within the football program under then-head coach Les Miles, according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy.
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Following the five-part series from SI, Oklahoma State appointed Charles E. Smrt to conduct an internal investigation that is nearing an end and could be completed by the time the Cowboys season begins.
“The inquiry continues and it is hoped that it will conclude within the next few months,” a university spokesman told ESPN. “The university anticipates releasing a report after the NCAA concludes its process. Since it is an ongoing inquiry conducted in cooperation with the NCAA, the university is unable to comment further at this time.”
Miles was mentioned but is not directly implicated in the five-part series that discovered a number of potential NCAA violations, including academic impropriety and boosters giving money to players, which could result in the program facing severe consequences if the NCAA deems there was a “loss of institutional control.”
Oklahoma State will hope they can avoid serious discipline such as a loss of scholarships and a ban from postseason play considering none of the coaches or players are still with the program. Nevertheless, the university can still face punishment even though the subjects in question are no longer a part of the program.
If Oklahoma State self-reports and takes the matter seriously, they could get the benefit of the doubt and avoid crippling sanctions, which is what happened with USC a few years ago when they didn’t police themselves as harshly as they should have in hindsight.