Notebook: Mizzou Must Meet NCAA Appeals Committee This Week

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HOOVER, Alaska – The Missouri contingent was the first to face the media at the opening day of the SEC Press Days, and the subject of the day was the appeal by the 39; school of a post-season ban and other sanctions pronounced by the NCAA committee on the offenses of January. L & # 39; s head coach Barry Odom and the players Kelly Bryant, Cale Garrett and DeMarkus Acy did not take stock of the team's call, but media development nevertheless emerged. PowerMizzou confirmed a CBS Sports report that the Tigers will be appearing before the NCAA Appeals Committee this week.

The in-person hearing is perhaps the most important element of the appeal process, in which Missouri representatives present their arguments to the Appeal Board. Thereafter, there is no longer any possibility of going back and forth between the school and the committee, according to the NCAA website. After the hearing, the committee will finalize its decision and inform Missouri.

CBS Sports reported that decisions are usually made about four to eight weeks after an in-person hearing, which means the Tigers may not know the fate of their playoff eligibility prior to the start of the season in Wyoming. August. Missouri immediately appealed the sanctions. , which include a reduction in scholarships and recruitment restrictions in addition to a one-year ban in the post-season, alleging that the Offenses Committee has abused its discretion.

Whenever he was questioned on the call Monday, Odom pointed out that the result was eluding him. He praised the Missouri administration for an approach he described as "very aggressive but also respectful," but added that he had encouraged his team not to insist on the "no-go" approach. call.

"If you sit and think about it, it's nothing we're talking about," Odom said. "This does not put us in a position to play really well on August 31. We control what we have the opportunity to control, and for the moment it's not a d & # 39; between them, so is it in their minds? Probably, is it on mine? Absolutely. But it's a thought lost at this point.That does not matter for the 2019 team. "

The fact that only one player, half a corner Terry Petry, entered on the transfer portal, this offseason suggests that Odom's message was well received. Indeed, Bryant, Garrett and Acy all stated that the fact that no player left as a result of the sanctions reflects the culture developed by the coaching staff and the senior class, and each declared that the result of the call would not influence the performance of the team. in the field.

"I think that says a lot about our entire program," Garrett said. "… many of us understand that the grass is not always green on the other side, it is greener where you water it. We all want to grow together and move in the right direction. "

Asked about Missouri's call, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey declined to elaborate on the details, but responded that "the Offenses Appeal Board certainly has a chance, apparently does ".

Unsurprisingly, Odom refused to speculate on the program's chances of winning an appeal, but he said one way or another that he was eager to fix the situation.

"If we have the opportunity to play more than 12 games, we will take it. You bet. But that's where we are. I'm happy to conclude, but it's also something we can not control. "

The post-season ban may have been the most discussed topic of time behind the Missouri microphones, there is no doubt that the new quarterback of the Tigers was the star of the morning. With his parents, Deborah and Russ BryantLooking, Bryant drew a crowd of reporters when he climbed onto the podium.

Bryant's decision to travel to Missouri instead of Auburn and Arkansas and stick to his decision after the announcement of the sanctions has been widely documented, but he provided an interesting anecdote on Monday. . During the meeting at which Odom initially informed the team of the sanctions that he had endured, Bryant, who was enrolled in courses for less than a month at that time, he was up and spoke to his teammates.

"I just wanted to say, okay, we had 12 games," Bryant said. "Whether it's appealed or not, we still have 12, so if you want to be here, be here. Otherwise, no one in the locker room will look at you differently. But if you're going to be here, make sure you highlight your best work and commitment to the team and what we're trying to achieve in those 12 games, and we'll see how we evolve. after these 12. "

The next day, Bryant publicly announced that he would not leave the Missouri roster, although he was able to do so without having to sit outside this season. Garrett said Bryant's words earned him a lot of respect in the locker room.

"It was really a moment of respect," Garrett said. "Like," okay, yeah, you're cool. "It was at that time that he convinced me."

Missouri released a depth chart updated Monday morning, but Odom could not answer a few questions from the lineup. Odom says defensive end Tre Williams, who was scheduled to appear in court last week after being arrested on suspicion of domestic assault, remains suspended for an indefinite period. Williams has been suspended from the activities of his team since his arrest in December. If he was found guilty of the crime charge, he would be immediately dismissed from the team in accordance with the sports department policy. Odom said he was optimistic that a resolution of Williams' situation could soon happen.

Odom also said that the team had not received a response from the NCAA to know if the quarter Shawn Robinson will be eligible to play this season. Robinson, transferred from TCU to Missouri in December, filed an application for an immediate admissibility waiver in May. Odom said the NCAA had acknowledged receiving Robinson's waiver, but because of the high number of waiver requests, the process had been delayed. If he is allowed to play, Robinson could play up to four games while preserving the two eligibility seasons he has left.

Finally, Odom has not clarified the changes made to the list of players, although he has stated that the team will have 85 players in stock at his fall camp on August 2 , in accordance with the rules of the NCAA. Our last count revealed that 87 players were still on the list. This means that two players will either have to leave the program or lose their scholarships in the next two weeks.

Odom said the new highly anticipated center of the football program, the South Zone Complex, should be ready for the start of the fall camp. The complex will include the team's dressing room, weight room, meeting rooms, treatment facilities and more.

"We are really close and I think next week we will change some things," Odom said. "I know that our first team meeting on August 1, we will be in this building. I know that for our players, student athletes, you look at the weight room, locker rooms, meeting room, sports medicine – the flow for them, the experience that they will live in this building is going to be very very unique and one of the best experiences in the country. "