Mike Boynton – NCAA owes OK State apology for postseason ban

Mike Boynton, head coach of Oklahoma State, is demanding an apology from the NCAA after Kansas, the latest school implicated in the 2017 FBI investigation into college basketball corruption, escaped severe penalties. Boynton believes his program is owed an apology from the NCAA, as they were banned from the 2022 NCAA tournament due to their involvement with the FBI probe.

The Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) recently concluded its hearings, with the panel ruling that Kansas and coach Bill Self will not face any further serious punishment. The IARP, responsible for reviewing complex infractions cases in NCAA Division I athletics, did not impose postseason bans or significant penalties on schools like LSU, Louisville, Arizona, and NC State, all connected to the FBI investigation.

In contrast, Oklahoma State opted to collaborate with the NCAA instead of utilizing the IARP for their case. “My message was always that they did the wrong thing to us,” Boynton expressed during Big 12 media day. “What I want is for someone to hold themselves accountable and acknowledge their mistake. Accountability is crucial, and it’s a principle we emphasize in our program every day.”

Boynton continued, “A simple phone call saying, ‘Coach, we messed up. We admit our error and regret it. We can’t change the past, but we recognize it.’ That’s all I ask at this point.”

Last year, Kansas self-imposed a four-game suspension on Self after facing Level I violation charges. However, the IARP process later downgraded the violation to Level III.

Oklahoma State faced a ban from the 2022 men’s basketball tournament as a consequence of former head coach Lamont Evans’ involvement in the FBI bribery investigation. Notably, these infractions occurred before Boynton’s tenure.

During the 2021-22 season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys finished with a 15-15 record (8-10 in the Big 12). Impressively, they ranked fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency that season.

Despite the severity of their penalty, Boynton emphatically stated that he does not want to see other schools receive harsher punishments. “I don’t believe Kansas should face more severe consequences,” he asserted. “The players on their team shouldn’t suffer postseason bans. The same goes for LSU, Arizona, and others who had no involvement in past events. Yet, we, unfortunately, faced those consequences.”