Reports: Syracuse football also under NCAA investigation

Syracuse football is reportedly also part of an NCAA investigation into the school's athletic department that has centered around the men's basketball program and could potentially be exposed to penalties.

Syracuse football is also part of an NCAA investigation into the school's athletic department that has centered around the men's basketball program, Nate Mink of Syracuse.com reported on Thursday. 

The investigation could potentially expose the football team to penalties, and it is unclear what time period is being investigated or whether any other Syracuse athletic teams are involved, according to the report. 

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The ongoing investigation was initially revealed to Syracuse in March 2013. The NCAA had already been investigating the school for more than a year.

None of the allegations involving the football program focus on conduct since Doug Marrone became head coach in 2009, according to a report from ESPN.com. The report says that the "majority" and the "most serious" of the allegations, which reportedly go back at least a decade and involve impermissible benefits and academic matters, are connected to the men's basketball program. 

"There were things going on consistently (with the men's basketball program) for a long time," a source said.

Syracuse officials have reportedly been invited to a hearing in front of the NCAA's Committee of Infractions at the end of October. Men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim and several members of the school's academic support staff for athletes, along with chancellor and president Kent Syverud and at least three former university employees, have been invited to the hearing, according to a report from Syracuse.com. 

Marrone said he was not invited. It is unknown if current football coach Scott Shafer was invited. 

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While the full scope of the investigation isn't known, Syracuse.com reports Boeheim references an ongoing NCAA investigation related to alleged academic misconduct involving former player Fab Melo in an upcoming book. 

Melo, who left the team in 2012 for the NBA draft, was suspended during the 2011-12 season due to academic violations. After working to make himself eligible, he was declared ineligible again before the 2012 NCAA tournament and did not play. Sryacuse.com notes that the three ex-Syracuse employees invited to the hearing were working with the basketball program at the time of Melo's suspension.

- Molly Geary and Chris Johnson