Will Miami Get the Death Penalty? Probably Not

​For the first time in nearly 15 years, talk of the NCAA giving the so-called death penalty to a major sports program has surfaced. Reason: the Yahoo Sports-generated University of Miami football scandal. Of course, that talk is coming mostly from sports pundits, columnists, and message board hacks. It is not coming directly from the top. The NCAA's vice president of enforcement says there's little chance the organization will deliver the ultimate punishment.

Julie Roe Lach, the N.C.A.A.'s vice president for enforcement, said in an interview Wednesday that there had been little discussion about reviving harsh penalties like television bans or the so-called death penalty, two punishments once used by the N.C.A.A. that have long been shelved.

The N.C.A.A., which has been investigating Miami since March, continues to try to bolster enforcement, but it does so against a backdrop of television contracts in the billions and some coaching salaries that eclipse $5 million.

Roe Lach was not permitted to speak directly about the Miami situation, but reiterated that in recent years the NCAA has been content with docking scholarships and enforcing postseason bans on programs.

However, she did indicate that because of the nature of Miami's alleged violations, the NCAA could lift its statute of limitations past the previous four years.

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