The University of Mississippi's football program could be in more trouble than initially thought, but athletics officials still do not appear worried.
Citing unnamed sources, The Associated Press reported the NCAA's Notice of Allegations detailed 13 charges against Ole Miss' football program, nine of which stem from Hugh Freeze's tenure as head coach. Ole Miss is reportedly facing 28 total charges from the NCAA, but initial reports indicated most were for the women's basketball team.
The 13 football allegations are made up of Level I, II, and III violations, The AP reported, but it is unclear if Freeze was charged with any of the more severe ones. The one case that could be trouble for Ole Miss is that of Laremy Tunsil, who sat out several games last season while the school and the NCAA investigated his involvement with NFL agents.
Ole Miss held Tunsil out of the team's first seven games, thus potentially saving themselves from sanctions for using a player who might have been deemed ineligible later on.
Citing its own sources, ESPN.com later backed up the AP's report and quoted Ole Miss officials stating the NCAA's NOA contained "no surprises." ESPN's Brett McMurphy reported the football violations for Freeze are of lesser importance.
Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde first reported in late January that Ole Miss had received its NOA and that there were "roughly 30." The NCAA apparently started its investigation in 2014 and was looking into cases that predated Freeze's arrival in Oxford.
"As has been the case for the past three years, we are bound by confidentiality and cannot comment publicly on the matter," Ole Miss Athletic Director Ross Bjork previously told ESPN. "However, I can say that I'm confident in how our coaches and staff operate our program, and we take compliance, NCAA and SEC rules very seriously. We are working hard to seek a resolution to this matter."
