Fri Feb 22 12:52:10 2008

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NCAA reinstates Oklahoma's 2005 football victories

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Norman, OK (Sports Network) - The NCAA has reinstated Oklahoma's eight wins from the 2005 football season after overturning a ruling stemming from violations that involved players receiving money for work not performed at an automobile dealership.

Oklahoma was 8-4 during the 2005 campaign, including a victory over Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

"This decision is a great thing for those individuals involved with our 2005 team," said Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops in a statement. "Most of the players on our current roster were not on that team, but I know those victories mean a lot to the players and coaches who were here at that time."

According to the NCAA, the violations involved three football student-athletes receiving extra benefits that totaled approximately $17,000 in unearned wages. The players included quarterback Rhett Bomar, who was dismissed from the team.

The NCAA, in last July's ruling, deemed the violations significant because two student-athletes competed while ineligible during the entire 2005 season.

Oklahoma immediately appealed, and gained a partial reversal as the Infractions Appeals Committee reasoned that failure to detect the employment of a student-athlete would not in itself constitute a separate violation of NCAA legislation.

The Infractions Appeals Committee also determined that the university's cooperation was a significant factor in the ultimate determination of the violations.

Oklahoma, in addition to dismissing two players, imposed scholarship reductions and restricted recruiting visits by assistant coaches as sanctions for the violations.

"While we are pleased with the findings by the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee, we are most pleased for the 100 student athletes and coaches who played by the rules and worked their hearts out for a successful 2005 season," said Oklahoma president David Boren.

Friday's ruling by the Appeals Committee still partially upheld a "failure to monitor" violation because the university failed to follow established institutional procedures for monitoring student-athletes' employment when it did not collect in a timely fashion gross earnings statements for 12 football student-athletes during the 2005 summer vacation period.

The school also lost two scholarships through the 2009-10 season.