Urban Meyer elaborates on reaction to Michigan punishment: 'This is one that will go down in the history books'

Following the NCAA’s ruling on the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, opinions have been split about whether it was fair or not. Some have argued Michigan should have been forced to vacate its national title, while others agree the players on that team should not have been punished. Either way, it was a landmark ruling in the sport, former coach Urban Meyer said.

Speaking on The Triple Option podcast, Meyer broke down why. He dove into his own past to do so.

“This is one that will go down in the history books,” Meyer said. “This is something, in my lifetime, I have not seen this.”

What’s unique about the whole thing is that the NCAA has never really hit a university with such a hefty fine. Estimates are that it could range into the $20 million ballpark.

However, at the same time, Michigan’s actions went largely unpunished when it comes to the record books. And, at least for Meyer, that seems inconsistent with previous rulings.

“I released a statement, people were asking me what to say and all that,” Urban Meyer said. “I referred back to a story; I coached a team that were not allowed to play for a national championship and they lost (that right) because they had nothing to do with it. So I agree with it, they shouldn’t punish the current players, but I don’t know how else you do it.

“Monetary fine to a university, with a very wealthy university, means nada. Nothing. Zero.”

Some coaches have already made the case that their team should have been recognized as a conference champ in light of the Michigan ruling. Steve Spurrier vouched for the 1990 Florida team, which was ineligible to win the SEC title, despite having the league’s best record, due to a prior infraction.

Urban Meyer’s story is similar. He inherited a team at Ohio State that was quickly hit with sanctions.

“I took over a program, and I know I’m going to hit it real quick… I was hired in 2011 and this is an incredible story,” Urban Meyer relayed. “So Gene Smith called me about coaching the Buckeyes. They had just fired Jim Tressel. You look back now, it was nonsense why that happened. It was players exchanging memorabilia for tattoos. Think about that for a minute. They fired a coach and there was a thought that they might lose a bowl game and lose scholarships.”

The former Florida coach, who had taken a step back from coaching to focus on his health and his family, wasn’t about to get back into coaching for a program about to face major NCAA sanctions. Meyer did his due diligence.

“I hired someone from the NCAA to look into it,” Meyer said. “They came back to me and said, ‘This looks like it’s only going to be probation.’ Then I asked Dr. Gee, Gordon Gee, and Gene Smith: ‘Any chance that we’re going to lose a bowl game or scholarships?’ Because I wasn’t going to take the job. That’s usually a death knell. They assured me no.

“I take the job. Contract unsigned, two weeks later Gene Smith comes in my office and says, ‘We’ve got a problem.’ I said, ‘What’s that?’ He said, ‘The NCAA just took nine scholarships. Nine. That’s a big hit. Then also your team cannot go play in a bowl game. They took a bowl game and there’s no championship game, etc.’ The worst thing is every senior could leave without punishment. So I’ve lived it.”

Urban Meyer’s conclusion? That the NCAA enforcement arm as we once knew it is now dead.