US Sen. Blunt slams NCAA penalties against Mizzou

February 1, 2019 at 9:00 p.m. | Updated February 1, 2019 at 9:05 p.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., speaks as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens at the Capitol in Washington. House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a bill to overhaul the process for handling sexual misconduct allegations on Capitol Hill. The push for the legislation took on new urgency in the past year, as more than a half-dozen lawmakers resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., speaks as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens at the Capitol in Washington. House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a bill to overhaul the process for handling sexual misconduct allegations on Capitol Hill. The push for the legislation took on new urgency in the past year, as more than a half-dozen lawmakers resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt is slamming the NCAA for sanctioning Missouri's football, baseball and softball programs after an investigation revealed academic misconduct.

The Missouri Republican in a Friday statement urged the NCAA to take another look at the case, which involves a tutor who completed coursework for athletes. Blunt says upstanding athletes shouldn't be punished for what he described as isolated violations.

Penalties include three years of probation and one-year postseason bans for all three programs. That means the baseball and softball teams will be ineligible for the NCAA Tournament this season and the football team will be ineligible for a bowl game this fall.

The school must also vacate all games in which the 12 students whose work was completed by the tutor participated.

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