Here's some bad news for anyone who is hopeful that five Ohio State football players will get their five-game NCAA suspensions reduced on appeal:
Based on recent precedent, and given the criticism the NCAA has received recently for several of its decisions, a reduction is far from a given, and may be termed unlikely.
Ohio State is expected to soon have its day in court, so to speak, when the NCAA's Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement has a conference call with Ohio State officials and the five players.
On Dec.22, the NCAA announced the suspensions of offensive tackle Mike Adams, running back Daniel Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and defensive end Solomon Thomas for selling memorabilia and accepting discounts on tattoos, a violation of the NCAA extra benefits rule.
A sixth player, linebacker Jordan Whiting, received a one-game suspension for accepting a discount and is not involved in the appeal.
The appeal is basically a rehash of the same information that Ohio State presented to the NCAA in December. According to the NCAA, no new information is allowed to be presented at the appeal.
The difference is that the committee is not the same body that initially ruled the players ineligible - that group was made up of full-time NCAA staffers, while the committee is composed of various school or conference officials.
The players must all be involved in the conference call. The NCAA will present its original reasons for the suspension, followed by time for Ohio State officials and players to make their case, and then time for the committee to ask questions.
All parties then are allowed to make final arguments.
One factor working against Ohio State is that in each of the three other football appeals to the committee in the 2010 season, the NCAA rejected the appeal.
A look:
• Sept.17: Georgia receiver A.J. Green's appeal of a four-game suspension was rejected. Green sold one of his game-worn jerseys for $1,000 to a man later determined to be a runner for a sports agent. Green claimed he was not aware of that connection.
After the hearing, Georgia president Michael Adams told reporters, "There's just not much that somebody in a position like mine can do on something like this. You can spend the money, you can get the best counsel and get the best advice you can get and make the appeal. I will say I think the university did everything to help (Green) that the university could."
• Sept.23: The NCAA upheld a four-game suspension for Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher, who had been given an impermissible loan of $1,500 from a community member.
• Oct.1: The NCAA upheld the suspensions of two North Carolina players, safety Deunta Williams (four games) and cornerback Kendric Burney (six games) for receiving improper benefits such as free travel and expenses.
Ohio State has said it will have no comment on the appeal until the process is complete.
One former NCAA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, calls the appeal a long shot.
"It seems like right now the committee is pretty much sticking (to the suspensions)," the former official said. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of deviation."
He also said the NCAA might be affected by the storm of criticism it received for its decision on Auburn quarterback Cam Newton - who was suspended and immediately reinstated - and for allowing the suspended Ohio State players to play in the Sugar Bowl.
kgordon@dispatch.com