The Arizona State football team has self-imposed a bowl ban for the 2023 season due to recruiting violations during the Herm Edwards era.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson released a statement this morning, in which he stated: “Arizona State University has informed the NCAA and Pac-12 conference that it will self-impose a one-year postseason ban on its football program for the upcoming season. In light of the ongoing investigation and our membership obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the matter, we will not be commenting further at this time.”
The violations stem from when Edwards hosted recruits in-person during a dead period due to the COVID-19 pandemic from the spring of 2020 to the spring of 2021. The NCAA then launched an investigation into the program.
Anderson, Edwards and University President Michael Crow decided not to impose this ban last season, which ended up being Edwards final year. They also did not immediately fire Edwards, who they knowingly had a direct role in the violations, before last season.
When Edwards did leave the program after last year’s loss to Eastern Michigan, they elected to pay him half of his remaining salary (approximately $4.4 million).
Meanwhile, seven of his staffers were let go or resigned before the season.
Ray Anderson hired his former client with no college coaching experience, it led to the program imploding and now under a bowl ban … but of course Ray Anderson is still there. https://t.co/FyFut8FtzM
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 27, 2023
Now in the first year of the Kenny Dillingham era, there will be no postseason for the players who decided to stick it out with the new coach and the 50+ newcomers who came to Tempe.
ASU has confirmed the one-year bowl ban and informed the team. A source said the reaction in the meeting was “devastating” to the players, especially among the more than 20 seniors. “Their entire goal this year was to right the ship and to make a bowl game,” said an ASU source.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 27, 2023
This is gut-wrenching news to the players just four days before the team’s season kicks off against Southern Utah.
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
