Syracuse NCAA Sanctions: Is DOC Gross On the Hot Seat?

Syracuse AD DOCTOR Daryl Gross is under heavy fire as the athletic department tries to gather itself after the heavy sanctions that were handed down by the NCAA friday afternoon. In the report, which can be read here, the NCAA details the course of events surrounding Syracuse's illicit methods used to reinstate Fab Melo after initially being declared ineligible along with drug policy violations and illicit payments to athletes.

The report states that a meeting was held amongst faculty regarding Melo's eligibility. In that meeting, called by Daryl Gross, it was determined that the best way to make Melo eligible again is to change a grade from the previous year. When the teacher gave Fab the opportunity to re-write a paper, Stan Kissel, the former Syracuse director of basketball operations, and a basketball facility receptionist worked together over the course of 27 hours to rewrite the aforementioned paper, raising the course grade from a C- to a B-, making him eligible again.

This quote from the report sums up Gross's involvement: "In the example of student-athlete 7, in order to keep one of their best players eligible the institution simply did not take "no" from the NCAA for an answer. The academic leaders (including the faculty athletics representative and associate provost) were convened by the director of athletics, developed a game plan going forward and then left it to the director of basketball operations to get the job done."

The report also stated that Gross altered the school's drug policy and told Boeheim not to call the parents of positive testing athletes, which is a NCAA violation. Gross also mentioned that student-athletes who tested positive weren't withheld from practice or competition and he could not recall an instance of this occurring since 2000.

According to Gross, Syracuse is still considering whether to appeal and he would not comment on the status of his job.

Should Gross stay or should he go? Let us know in the comments.