It took longer than normal, but it’s official that Ohio State’s athletics program will be around for another year.
NCAA officials notified OSU President Karen A. Holbrook that the program received re-certification Wednesday.
The delay followed the investigation into the OSU football squad’s suspended tailback Maurice Clarett. As a result of questions regarding issues of academics, governance, commitment to equity, student-athlete welfare and sportsmanship, OSU launched a self-study compiled of a 26-member steering committee to review the athletic program in November 2001, a statement realeased by OSU said.
“The self-study process was comprehensive and open, and gave us an opportunity to review all of the systems we have in place,” Holbrook said in a statement released by OSU yesterday. “The objective is to be continually improving and enhancing the environment in which our student-athletes learn and compete.”
Schools that are members of the NCAA must get re-certified yearly.
The steering committee was made up of faculty, staff, students and the community. Director of Athletics Andy Geiger was also a part of the steering committee.
As part of the investigation a peer-review team made a visit to OSU form April 13-16. The team included representatives from other colleges, universities and conference offices who then reported back to the NCAA’s Certification Committee.
The NCAA re-certified the athletics program by indicating it is “in substantial conformity with principles adopted by the association’s Division 1 membership.”
“We take great pride in our program, and I am grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make sure that we achieved this re-certification,” Geiger said in a statement.
