UM investigation may come to an end

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (WSVN) -- An end may be in sight to a near two-year investigation into the University of Miami's athletic department.

It was announced Monday morning, that the NCAA is reportedly now finally looking into the allegations that cropped up in 2011 after former booster Nevin Shapiro claimed he had provided financial benefits and gifts to players and Hurricane recruits.

The notice of allegations would result in actual penalties against the Hurricanes football team and both the men and women's basketball teams for wrongdoing. However, with UM being a private institution, the school could elect which portions of the allegations it would release to the public.

This all stems from Shapiro stepping forward in 2011 to admit he had provided unofficial perks to the players over a span of 10 years. "You're talking about a situation that started at its inception by somebody who is in prison for, among other things, fraud," said Hurricanes Head Coach Al Golden. "This is not a person to be trusted," he indicated.

At a Hurricanes basketball game Sunday night, Hurricanes Interim Athletic Director Blake James commented, "As we said from the start, we're in the middle of a process with the NCAA. We'll have no comment until the process is complete. Again, I think we've done a great job of recognizing the situation, and putting ourselves in a position to be able to move forward as a program, and again, when that process plays out, we'll look forward to moving forward as a program."

Golden agrees with James' statement. "I think that we've done the best that we could possibly do in terms of being open and honest and trying to reach a resolution," he said. "We're ready to move on. There's no question about it," Golden added.

In a positive sign for the UM football team, at an 11 a.m. Monday morning news conference, three Canes football players announced their decision to stay with the team for another year. It may be that UM has done enough to punish itself, like skipping bowl games, to satisfy the NCAA. Hurricanes Offensive Lineman Brandon Linder said, "The stuff that was going on off the field had happened, and it doesn't bother us, and we're just putting our heads down and keep grinding every day."

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