30 biggest college football scandals of all time, ranked

30 biggest college football scandals of all time

By Ethan Lee | Nov 4, 2019

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o (5) fights his emotions as he leaves the field after a 42-14 loss against Alabama in the BCS National Championship game at Sun Life Stadium on Monday, January 7, 2013, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) /

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GAINESVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 03: A detailed view of a pylon showing both the Florida Gators and SEC logos covered in rain during the game between the Florida Gators and the Massachusetts Minutemen at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

Charley Pell and Florida

Several years before Steve Spurrier coached a game in the Swamp and bantered around, bashing rival coaches and teams, Charley Pell led the Florida Gators. And Pell ultimately was ousted as the Gators’ head coach NCAA announced Pell’s Florida program committed over 100 NCAA infractions while he was in Gainesville.

Prior to Pell arriving to coach the Gators, Florida football was a mess. Pell had previously had success leading Jacksonville State and Clemson, and then took the challenge of fixing Florida.

And Pell did. Florida went winless in his first season there, but the Gators went on to play in four straight bowl games from 1980 to 1983.

Eventually, a quarter of the way into the 1984 season, the NCAA hit Florida with 59 sanctions, and Pell confessed to the violations that caused the sanctions. Florida took a step back for a few seasons and Pell stepped away from coaching.

Though Pell was a successful head coach and had a great career, it was ultimately cut short by this scandal.

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