BREAKING NEWS: Ohio State reportedly self-reports four minor NCAA infractions.

The Ohio State football program has disclosed four minor NCAA rule infractions since last summer, as reported by Joey Kaufman of The Columbus Dispatch. These violations were all related to recruiting and categorized as Level III violations by the NCAA, which are considered minor and isolated incidents, typically resulting in mild penalties.

As per The Dispatch, only one of these violations led to consequences beyond those already taken by the Buckeyes. All of the infractions occurred within a five-month period and were voluntarily reported by the university. This disclosure follows Ohio State’s self-reporting of another minor violation last February, which involved the use of a blocking sled during winter conditioning drills.

The reported violations by Ohio State include impermissible contact with a transfer, providing a photo edit for a prospect during a campus visit, a booster’s pre-game interaction with a player, and a violation related to a social media post, according to The Dispatch.

Following the impermissible contact violation, a coach from the Buckeyes’ staff reached out to a player before he officially entered the transfer portal. Although the player had posted on social media about his intention to enter the transfer portal, NCAA rules prohibit coaches from contacting players until their names are officially listed in the online database.

Once the coach became aware that the player was not contactable, communication ceased until the player officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. As a consequence of this violation, the Scarlet and Gray suspended recruiting activities for a week and reduced the program’s in-person visit days by three, along with official visits by four. The assistant coach involved, who remained unnamed in the report, met with athletic director Gene Smith, and the rest of Ohio State’s staff received letters of education regarding tampering and the rules surrounding the transfer portal window.

During the Buckeyes’ SummerFest event in late July, Brian Hartline, the offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach, presented a photo edit from the program’s staff to Adam “Pacman” Jones, the legal guardian of Scarlet and Gray commit Chris Henry Jr. This action violated NCAA rules because Henry was not yet a junior in high school at that time. Hartline promptly reported the violation, resulting in a penalty where he was prohibited from sending recruiting materials to prospects for a week, and the coaching staff was restricted from sending anything to Henry for two weeks.

During an Ohio State game in September, two unidentified boosters posted a photo with a recruit on the sideline, although the recruit’s name was redacted in the report. This action violated NCAA rules as boosters are not authorized to interact with recruits during visits.

The photo was promptly deleted after the game commenced. As a consequence, the boosters involved and the staff member responsible for distributing sideline passes were educated on the rules. Additionally, one booster was prohibited from receiving a sideline pass for the next two games. The NCAA imposed further penalties, including the elimination of two in-person recruiting days following the reporting of the violation.

Lastly, an Ohio State staff member commented on a social media post, believed to be made by Caleb Downs, a transfer from Alabama who announced his commitment to the Buckeyes. The staff member’s comment, “Great news,” violated NCAA regulations prohibiting staff members from publicly commenting on recruits until they officially sign. The post was subsequently removed, and the Scarlet and Gray provided social media education to the staff member involved.