Pecora on the NCAA: A non-profit organization run amok

Hofstra men's basketball coach Tom Pecora, shown with the program's all-time leading scorer Antoine Agudio, is one of many Long Island college coaches that will need to monitor the swine flu this season. Credit: Photo by Joe Rogate
Hofstra coach Tom Pecora had several choice words for the NCAA regarding its recent ruling on the Pride's latest recruit.
Junior college transfer Brad Kelleher was ruled ineligible for the rest of the season by the NCAA. At issue is Kelleher's amateur status after playing with Brisbane, a former member of Austrailia's National Basketball league after graduating high school.
Click here for Steve Marcus' story on it.
The NCAA called Pecora's rant "inappropriate and inaccurate". Pecora basically accused the NCAA of looking out for the BCS conference schools and shunning the mid-majors.
Some may call it sour grapes, but the pressure is going to be on the NCAA over the coming weeks and months to prove Pecora wrong.
Why? Simple. The USC athletic department has come under major fire the last few years. From the investigation of Reggie Bush's family receiving benefits, to allegations of running back Joe McKnight driving an SUV that belongs to a Santa Monica businessman to reports of O.J. Mayo receiving gifts during his only season at the school, the USC athletic department has a lot to answer for.
If the allegations turn out to be true, and the NCAA can prove it, there will be no choice but to drop the hammer on the Trojans. If USC gets a slap on the wrist, it will just add more fuel to Pecora's fire.
The NCAA already let USC off the hook with Mayo. The overseer of colleges allowed USC to self-impose sanctions. Under normal circumstances, that's not unreasonable. In fact, the NCAA has allowed many schools to self-impose sanctions.
But this is different. The entire USC program, based on the multitude of alleged infractions, needs more scrutiny. What the NCAA should've done was let the numerous investigations run their course and then make a decision on what sanctions will be handed down.
To let the Trojans basketball program get off with a one-year post season ban and a few recruiting restrictions was premature.
I'm not trying to pick on USC, but for the NCAA to go after Kelleher like this when there are schools going about their business after committing several rules infractions does raise questions.
Photo credit: Newsday / Joe Rogate