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Tattoogate Impacts Urban Meyer’s new OSU Contract

Tattoogate has had a profound effect upon the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State University (OSU). The NCAA Division 1 Committee on Infractions' ruling was announced on December 20, 2011, and included a one-year Bowl ban for the 2012 Bowl season, three years of probation from December 20, 2011 through December 19, 2014, the forfeiture of nine scholarships during the three-year probation period, and a finding that Jim Tressel had engaged in unethical conduct resulting in a show cause penalty of five years for committing violations, including lying to the NCAA and failing to report violations. The history and findings relative to Tattoogate can be found in my article entitled Tattoogate dated January 10, 2012. But Tattoogate has also impacted the contractual relations between OSU and its successor coach, Urban Meyer. Meyer executed an Employment Agreement with OSU on June 8, 2012. The contract is worth approximately $4.44 million per year over six seasons through the 2017 season. It includes retention bonuses in 2014, 2016 and 2018 for a total of $2.4 million