Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The NCAA Committee on Infractions upheld the Missouri Tigers' postseason ban for this season, the school announced Tuesday.
"We are deeply disappointed and appalled by the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee's decision to shirk its responsibilities and simply uphold sanctions that are not consistent with precedent or even common sense," Missouri chancellor Alexander Cartwright and athletic director Jim Sterk said in a joint statement.
In January, the NCAA banned Missouri's football, baseball and softball programs from postseason play for a year and put the school's entire athletic department on probation. The teams also lost scholarships and faced many recruiting restrictions.
Missouri officials appealed the ban in March, arguing that the original ruling was contradictory to NCAA precedent and wasn't appropriate given the nature of the allegations.
"Today's decision raises serious questions about whether the current NCAA enforcement system encourages or discourages cultures of compliance and integrity," the school said in Tuesday's statement. "While we have exhausted our NCAA appeal avenues, we will continue to advocate for meaningful reform within the NCAA enforcement process.
"Today, about 180 student-athletes who had nothing to do with the actions of one rogue part-time employee will pay a steep price. NCAA enforcement officials noted that prior to the violation the university employed a robust institutional system to ensure rules compliance. Once the problem was known, we self-reported immediately, held individuals accountable and cooperated with the investigation in what NCAA officials described as 'exemplary' fashion."
The case started in 2016 when Yolanda Kumar, a former Missouri athletic tutor, admitted she violated NCAA rules by completing coursework for multiple student-athletes across the three sports. The school conducted an internal investigation after Kumar made allegations against Missouri's athletic department on social media.
Missouri officials cooperated with the NCAA during its investigation and eventually issued self-imposed penalties. Kumar was given a 10-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA.
The Tigers' football program, currently holding a 5-6 record this season, could have become bowl eligible by beating Arkansas in Friday's regular-season finale. Missouri's baseball and softball teams served their postseason bans this past spring.
