College Football Fans Pointing Out Hypocrisy Amongst NCAA's Recruiting Violation Punishments

Following Tuesday's news of Oklahoma Sooners running back coach DeMarco Murray being suspended for one game by the NCAA due to recruiting violations, college football fans have begun to point out the disparity in punishment compared to what former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh received.

Murray, who enters his fifth season at his alma mater, earned a one-game suspension from the NCAA for impermissible contact with recruits. The conduct by Murray involved contacting 17 recruits over 16 months, including 65 impermissible phone calls and 36 impermissible text messages. Oklahoma discovered the activity through a routine phone records review.

The relatively weak punishment from the NCAA has sparked outrage, particularly among Michigan fans, who believe that Murray should have received a more severe penalty compared to what Jim Harbaugh received on August 7.

Harbaugh was given a four-year show-cause penalty along with a one-year suspension by the NCAA for impermissible contact with recruits during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period. In the NCAA's 48-page ruling , it stated Harbaugh "violated recruiting and inducement rules, engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations."

One fan accused the NCAA of hypocrisy by quickly pointing out the discrepancy in punishment.

Another fan echoed this sentiment, stating that the NCAA's punishment for Murray's conduct was far less severe than that of Harbaugh.

One fan concluded that the NCAA simply has a clear disdain for Harbaugh.

One fan also joked that Murray's conduct is the worst cheating scandal in college football history, which plays on the accusations Michigan's rivals made for Harbaugh violating the same rules.

Regardless of the opinions of college football fans, Murray will serve the one-game suspension at some point during the Sooners' season, although the particular game in which he is expected to serve the penalty has yet to be officially announced.

The No. 16-ranked Sooners open their 2024 campaign on August 30 when the Temple Owls visit Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. ET start and will air on ESPN.

Related: NCAA Makes Final Decision On Oklahoma Coach DeMarco Murray