Report: Ohio State forced to stop recruiting top player over invitation to ESPN set
Ohio State was once considered the favorite to land five-star defensive end recruit Micah Parsons, but a self-reported NCAA violation stemming from time Parsons spent with a handful of ESPN employees may result in the Buckeyes losing him to another school.
On Tuesday, Ohio State’s student newspaper The Lantern reported that the Buckeyes have agreed to stop recruiting Parsons after they self-reported violations to the NCAA on Sept. 29. The violations were the result of improper contact that took place when Parsons was invited onto the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay” during an official visit to campus on Sept. 9.
Parsons, who is unnamed in the self-reported violations obtained by The Lantern, posed for photos with former Ohio State quarterback and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, former Ohio State running back and celebrity guest picker Eddie George, “College GameDay” analysts Lee Corso, and host Rece Davis. The photos were later posted on Twitter.
While recruits are allowed to interact with former student-athletes during official visits, NCAA rules prevent them from having “contact with members of the media associated with former student-athletes.” In addition, Parsons and his parents were given credentials to access parts of the “College GameDay” set that are inaccessible to the public, which was self-reported by Ohio State as an improper benefit.
The NCAA determined that further sanctions against Ohio State are not needed, but the Buckeyes have agreed to stop recruiting Parsons and have declared him ineligible for an unknown amount of time. Parsons is expected to make a decision on Wednesday, and Ohio State was still on his list as of Monday along with Penn State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Alabama.
We have seen over the years how insane self-reported recruiting violations can be, but such is life in the NCAA. If Parsons does end up committing to Ohio State, he may have to sit out for a short time before officially joining the team.
