Today was decision day in Storrs as the NCAA Committee on Infractions handed down its alleged punishment of the UConn men's basketball program and head coach Jim Calhoun for violations of NCAA rules in the recruitment of Nate Miles and for failing to create an atmosphere of compliance.  The headline sanctions include the suspension of Calhoun for the first three Big East next season and placing the team on three year's probation.  Other penalties include reduction of scholarships from 13 to 12 for three years, limitations on official campus recruiting visits and limiting the number of coaches allowed to recruit off-campus.

UConn and Calhoun should consider themselves lucky.  Failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance is one step removed from lack of institutional control, which is the NCAA's least favorite violation.  nevertheless, the sanctions will not have any material effect on the way in which UConn conducts its program.  Probation is a joke these days since the NCAA has not done anything serious to repeat offenders since it dropped the death penalty on SMU back in the 1980s.

Suspending Calhoun for three Big East games is equally meaningless. First, no one knows what those games will be since the Big East schedule isn't made until the summer.  You can be sure that suspension will be taken into account when the UConn portion of the schedule is made up . The Huskies are not barred from the postseason, nor are they barred from any television appearances, not even non-conference games.  Without hitting a program where it counts - television and the NCAA tournament - the Committee on Infractions is doing little more than slapping the school on the wrist and telling it to go play nice and not to do it again.

If the NCAA is serious about enforcing its rules, it needs to hold head coaches accountable for everything that happens in a program.  No more hiding under the ridiculous notion that he just didn't know what was transpiring right under his nose.  A three game suspension is not enough to get the attention of the average coach.  Some argue that Calhoun takes the suspension hard because of a perceived stain on his legacy and reputation and he, indeed, has implied that he may at least appeal the decision if not sue the NCAA.

�I am very disappointed with the NCAA�s decision in this case,�� Calhoun said in a statement. �My lawyer and I are evaluating my options and will make a decision which way to proceed.��

Nevertheless, the average coach is not Jim Calhoun and for the sanctions to truly be effective the NCAA should hit coaches where their attention is most likely to be drawn - their wallets.  Suspend coaches not for a few games during the season, conference games or not.  Suspend them for NCAA tournament games, or other post-season games if the team doesn't make the field of 68.  In the event a school under sanction fails to make the post-season, then the suspension can either carry over to the following year's post-season tournament or could be enforced in the following year's conference tournament with any remaining games to be enforced during the post-season.  That may play havoc with Vegas' college basketball predictions, but that is just an added bonus as far as the NCAA is concerned.

Coaches make their reputation and their big bucks by what they do come tournament time.  If they have to sit out the tournament, they may begin to realize that there is a real price to pay for violating recruiting regulations.  Right now, the only problem with NCAA violations is that the player that usually causes schools to get caught rarely proves worthwhile.  Nate Miles was expelled from UConn in October, 2008 without ever playing for the Huskies.