Cases · NCAA · 2010–2011
Ohio State "Tattoo-Gate" and Jim Tressel
In December 2010 the NCAA suspended five Ohio State football players, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, for selling awards and memorabilia and receiving improper benefits, including discounted tattoos. It later emerged that head coach Jim Tressel had received emails in April 2010 warning him of the problem and did not report them. He also allowed ineligible players to compete. Tressel resigned in May 2011. In December 2011 the NCAA cited Ohio State for failure to monitor, imposed a 2012 postseason ban and scholarship reductions, and gave Tressel a five-year show-cause order.
Timeline
- Tressel receives emails from a local attorney warning that players were involved with a tattoo-parlor owner under federal investigation. He does not report them to compliance or the NCAA.
- The NCAA suspends five players for five games of the 2011 season but allows them to play in the January 2011 Sugar Bowl.
- Ohio State discloses Tressel's emails, suspends him, and fines him $250,000.
- Tressel resigns.
- The NCAA finds a failure to monitor and imposes a 2012 bowl ban, scholarship reductions, three years of probation, and a five-year show-cause order for Tressel. Ohio State had already vacated its 2010 season.
The ethical issues
- Honesty and concealment: a revered coach withheld information to keep players eligible.
- Amateurism and athletes' property: players were punished for selling their own awards, a rule that later NIL reforms changed significantly.
- Institutional complicity: delaying suspensions so players could play in a lucrative bowl game.
- Collective punishment: later teams lost a postseason for earlier misconduct.
Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Interests & obligations |
|---|---|
| Players | Eligibility, earnings, and careers. |
| Jim Tressel and staff | Reputation and careers; duty to report. |
| Ohio State University | Compliance, revenue, and reputation. |
| NCAA and the Big Ten | Credibility of enforcement. |
| Later Ohio State athletes | Bearing sanctions for conduct they had no part in. |
Why this case matters
“Tattoo-Gate” is a core case on coach honesty and compliance. It also shows how rules on athletes profiting from their own property have changed since the NIL reforms.
Discussion questions
- Was Tressel's concealment more serious than the players' original violations? Why?
- Was it fair to punish players for selling items they owned? How would today's NIL rules treat the same conduct?
- Should the NCAA have let the suspended players compete in the Sugar Bowl?
- Who should bear sanctions for a coach's misconduct: the coach, the institution, or future teams?
Sources
- NCAA requires loss of contests for six Ohio State football student-athletes — Ohio State Athletics
- Major infractions case: The Ohio State University (Dec. 2011) — NCAA Legislative Services Database
- Jim Tressel — Wikipedia