The NCAA had a chance to drop the hammer on a school that had been accused of a major academic scandal, but its own rulebook allowed the University of North Carolina to get off scot-free.
By doing so, the NCAA let down student-athletes and universities across the country.
The scandal, which was first uncovered six years ago, involved allegations of UNC offering sham classes in a “shadow curriculum.” Under this, students enrolled in classes in the African Studies department that did not require much work and did not often meet.