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A timeline of OSU AD Ross Bjork's handling of NCAA violations when he was at Ole Miss

bill rabinowitz, columbus dispatch
·3 min read

A timeline of newly hired Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork's time at Mississippi:

Nov. 7, 2011 – Houston Nutt fired as Mississippi football coach

Dec. 5, 2011 – Ole Miss hires Hugh Freeze as coach

March 21, 2012 – Ole Miss hires Ross Bjork as athletic director

Oct. 20, 2012 – Bjork fires Ole Miss women’s basketball coach Adrian Wiggins following allegations of NCAA violations.

Dec 22, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels head football coach Hugh Freeze talks with Mississippi athletic director Ross Bjork during a mens basketball game between the Rebels and the Troy Trojans at the Tad Smith Coliseum. Mississippi defeated Troy 83-80. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels head football coach Hugh Freeze talks with Mississippi athletic director Ross Bjork during a mens basketball game between the Rebels and the Troy Trojans at the Tad Smith Coliseum. Mississippi defeated Troy 83-80. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 2013 – Ole Miss signs the No. 8-ranked football recruiting class nationally, which stunned recruiting analysts. The previous year, Ole Miss’s recruiting class was ranked 48th.

Oct. 2, 2014 – Yahoo Sports reports that the Ole Miss football and women’s basketball program are subjects of an NCAA investigation. The story indicates that any major infractions in football occurred before Freeze’s tenure and that "much of the football inquiry dates back to actions by a previous Ole Miss staff."

Jan. 22, 2016 – The NCAA issues a Notice of Allegations to Ole Miss alleging violations, with most of the charges committed by Freeze and his staff. The NOA is delivered to the university’s outside lawyers instead of to its chancellor, which is atypical.

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2015, file photo, Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze watches his team warmup before an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M in Oxford, Miss. USA Today reported July 25, 2017, that a charity foundation founded by Freeze is taking a break from fundraising and will reconsider its future days after the coach resigned amid what the school called a "pattern of personal misconduct." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Jan. 29, 2016 – Yahoo Sports posts story saying the NCAA has charged Ole Miss with dozens of violations in three sports, including football. According to Houston Nutt’s lawsuit, Bjork and others in the athletic department told reporters off the record or on background that most of the allegations occurred when Nutt was coach.

Feb. 3, 2016 – Ole Miss signs the No. 5-ranked football recruiting class.

May 27, 2016 − The NOA is released publicly, revealing that nine of the 13 allegations leveled against the football program happened under Freeze, including four Level 1 violations, the most serious type.

Dec. 8, 2016 – Barney Farrar, assistant athletic director for high school and junior college relations, is fired amid the NCAA allegations. He is later given a five-year show cause penalty.

February 22, 2017 – Ole Miss announces it has received a second Notice of Allegations from the NCAA. It self-imposes a bowl ban for the 2017 season.

July 12 10, 2017 – Houston Nutt files a federal lawsuit (eventually refiled in Lafayette County Circuit Court) against the University of Mississippi and the board of trustees, charging a breach of contract for violating the terms of his severance agreement by making false and misleading statements about him. The parties soon reach an out-of-court settlement.

July 18, 2017 – Bjork learns that a review of Freeze’s phone records revealed he had made numerous calls to escort services.

In this Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, photo, Mississippi coach Houston Nutt casts a glance at the stadium video screen after a series of plays against No. 2 Alabama in an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss. Following a 52-7 loss to Alabama, Nutt has a tough job instilling some confidence and hope with his team as they prepare to host No. 10 Arkansas on Saturday. (AP Photo/Austin McAfee)

July 20, 2017 – Ole Miss fires Freeze.

Dec. 1, 2017 – The NCAA hits Ole Miss with a four-year probation, an additional one-year bowl and a reduction of 13 scholarships.

Dec. 15, 2017 – Ole Miss files a notice to appeal the violations. They follow up on Feb. 5, 2018 by filing the written appeal.

Nov. 1, 2018 – Ole Miss is partly successful in its appeal. The NCAA lifts its recruiting restrictions but upheld the 2018 postseason ban.

May 23, 2019 – Texas A&M hires Bjork as its athletic director.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Timeline: OSU AD Ross Bjork's dealings with Houston Nutt, Hugh Freeze