In case you missed it over the weekend, as I did, Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun was denied his final appeal by the NCAA's committee on Amateurism Certification, according to his attorney Woody Glass.
"I am so disapointed for Mike," Glass said. "His only avenue now is in the courts."
With that statement, Balogun's collegiate career is likely over. Oklahoma is unlikely to challenge the ruling in the courts, considering NCAA can penalize any team who allows a student-athlete to play under a court order and that order is later to be found unjustified.
Oklahoma LB Balogun won't play for Sooners this season: Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun won't be playing for the Sooners this season. Woody Glass, Balogun's attorney, said Monday morning the fact-finding wing of the NCAA has sided with the NCAA's original ruling that Balogun played semi-pro football after his 21st birthday and is out of eligibility. "The writing is clearly on the wall," Glass said. "They made the finding Mike played in 2004, 2005 and 2006." Balogun turned 21 in September of 2004. Glass, who has obtained sworn testimony from various sources suggesting Balogun didn't play semi-pro ball after his 21st birthday, said he has already filed an appeal with the NCAA, but is doubtful it will have any effect. (The Oklahoman)
The latest on LB Mike Balogun's eligibility: No official decision has come from the NCAA on Mike Balogun's eligibility, but the senior linebacker is still practicing.(The Oklahoman)
Attorney: Sooners linebacker Balogun will not likely be re-certified: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting, NCAA will likely not reinstate Mike Balogun's eligibility according to his attorney. And the Balogun saga will drag out for weeks to come.
"I am confident they will not certify him," attorney Woody Glass said. "If [the staff] was going to certify him, they would have done it a long, long time ago."
However, if Balogun is denied eligibility that's not the final judgement, NCAA's committee on Amateurism Certification could have the final ruling.
"If we cannot agree, we will submit our proposed findings of fact. The two position statements will then be submitted to a fact finding committee that will resolve the factual issues. Once the factual issues are decided, the case gets submitted to the Amateurism Certification Committee for decision."
Mike Balogun's attorney confident NCAA will certify linebacker: Woody Glass, the attorney for University of Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun, told the Star-Telegram that he's confident his client will be certified to play this season.
"I'm frustrated that it's taken this long and continue to press toward a deadline that we believed would concur with my agreement to suspend the [civil court] hearing on a permanent injunction," Woody Glass said after two days with an NCAA investigator in the Maryland area. "That has yet to occur. But I still feel confident based on everything that has happened that Mike will be certified -- sooner, hopefully, than later."
Glass and a NCAA investigator spent Monday and Tuesday interviewing a person with knowledge of Balogun's semi-pro career, though, Glass is unable to comment on the interview.
"Because of some confidentiality that I have agreed to with the NCAA, I cannot discuss at this time what the content of the [interview] was," Glass said. "But I think that people can read into that, that I still feel confident that Mike will be certified."
Mike Balogun's eligibility was decertified on Aug. 14 by the NCAA.
Balogun's attorney in Maryland:Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting.. Woody Glass, the attorney for senior linebacker Mike Balogun, was in Maryland on Monday and Tuesday, re-interviewing principals in the linebacker's case with an NCAA investigator. At the heart of the matter is whether Balogun, now 25, played semi-pro football after turning 21, which would make him ineligible this season. (Star-Telegram)
Attorney: Balogun will sit against BYU:Tulsa World is reporting.. Mike Balogun won't make the trip to Dallas for the season-opening football game Saturday against Brigham Young, his attorney said in an e-mail this afternoon. "The NCAA has not made a decision and they will not have a decision before Friday," Balogun's attorney, Woody Glass, said in an e-mail. "Mike will not be able to travel with the team or participate in the game." Glass said the investigation into Balogun's eligibility has continued this week in Maryland. "They are conducting an additional investigation, and we are currently in Baltimore," Glass wrote in the e-mail. "They are trying to locate people that might have information about Mike's participation. I don't know anything else at this point." (Tulsa World)
No word on Mike Balogun's status: The Mike Balogun saga continues without any resolution. Asked Monday morning whether he had a sense about a final decision, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said: "I do not. I really don't. I wish I could tell you something different, but I don't." Balogun is listed as the backup middle linebacker to Reynolds in the Sooners' most recent depth chart released today. (Tulsa World)
Decision on LB Mike Balogun's eligibility soon? Mike Balogun's lawyer said in an e-mail interview Wednesday night that he expects to know Thursday when the NCAA will make a final determination. Norman attorney Woody Glass also said he filed an additional supplement to his original motion for a temporary restraining order. The new supplement contains an affidavit from Charles McGriff, Balogun's former coach with the semi-pro Maryland Marauders, that supports three other sworn affidavits submitted last Friday claiming Balogun did not play for the Marauders or the Prince George Jets after his 21st birthday. McGriff told the NCAA during its initial investigation that he thought Balogun had played for him in 2005, but in the affidavit, he says now he does not believe Balogun played for him at that time. (Tulsa World)
Possible pending agreement between NCAA and Balogun? Mike Balogun's attorney, Woody Glass, told The Oklahoman that today's temporary injunction hearing against the NCAA has been cancelled, and that he is working on an agreement that will have the NCAA re-evaluate his client's eligibility outside the courts. "Our hope is to get all this information that I've uncovered the last several weeks back to the NCAA," Glass said, "and let them make a decision." Glass said part of the pending agreement with the NCAA is "getting in place deadline dates," so a ruling can be made before Oklahoma's Sept. 5 opener with Brigham Young. "Their attorneys have been very helpful and have shown a willingness to speed up the issue," Glass said. The main reason, Glass said, for taking Balogun's case back out of court is NCAA bylaw 19.7. which allows for penalties against schools that allow student-athletes to play under a court order and that order is later overturned or found to be unjustified. (More at The Oklahoman)
Comments made during telecast raised questions: In the first half of the BCS National Championship game, Mike Balogun corralled Florida running back Chris Rainey for a 3-yard loss. Had Balogun not made that tackle, his eligibility at Oklahoma may have never come under investigation by the NCAA. Court documents obtained by The Oklahoman from Balogun's lawsuit against the NCAA allege that comments made by TV announcers during the national-title telecast about Balogun being age 25 and playing semi-pro ball before coming to OU sparked the NCAA's inquiry into his past. Balogun filed a civil lawsuit against the NCAA on Tuesday and was granted a temporary restraining order against the governing body by a Cleveland County Court judge. According to court records, the day after watching the title game and hearing what the announcers had said about Balogun, officials from Florida State's compliance department contacted the Big 12 Conference and suggested league officials investigate Balogun's eligibility. After a follow-up, the Big 12 was satisfied with the information provided by OU's compliance department. (More at The Oklahoman)
Mike Balogun allowed to practice with Sooners: Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun can still practice with the team thanks to a temporary restraining order issued by a Cleveland County District Judge Tuesday afternoon in a case concerning his amateur status with the NCAA. Balogun was to become decertified today as an eligible football player due to an NCAA ruling having to do with the linebacker's involvement with a semi-professional league and whether or not he participated in games after the age of 21. Until the matter is resolved with the NCAA, Balogun will not be allowed to play in any games. (Norman Transcript)
OU Linebacker Mike Balogun's eligibility called into question: As a result of information provided by the University of Oklahoma, the NCAA has decertified the eligibility of OU linebacker Mike Balogun pending further review. The senior is eligible to continue in practice through Wed., Aug. 19, but may be sidelined after that time. The matter that is being reviewed is Balogun's participation in the North American Football League, a semi-professional league, and whether he participated in any games after the age of 21. Any participation during each 12-month period after his 21st birthday would result in a corresponding loss of a season of collegiate eligibility. The NCAA is responsible for the certification of amateur status for all student-athletes. As part of that process, the NCAA was aware of Balogun's participation in the league prior to the 2008 season. The NCAA interviewed Balogun, reviewed information, then certified him on May 28, 2008. OU's compliance office subsequently confirmed the NCAA's information and certification. More information came to light after the 2008 season and OU again reviewed the matter and shared its information with the NCAA. "I don't know how we could have done more than we have in this matter, and we've had a good working relationship with the NCAA on Mike's case all along," said OU Head Coach Bob Stoops. "We're still hopeful that Mike will be eligible for this season, but we'll have to see what happens over the coming days." (SoonerSports.com)
Balogun to start at linebacker: Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said after Tuesday's practice that Mike Balogun will start at middle linebacker over Austin Box, who's returning from a knee sprain. Venables said Box would play, but he said how much would depend a lot on how Balogun performs. Box said Tuesday that he feels 100 percent and is ready to go. (The Oklahoman)
