Ohio State Chose Not to Appeal Chase Young Suspension

Penalty for NCAA violation will allow Young back for Penn State, Michigan

Ohio State did not appeal Chase Young's two-game suspension from the NCAA and credits his honesty over the illegal loan he accepted with completing the matter in time for him to return to the field Nov. 23 against Penn State.

"I can't think of one thing where he wasn't on point," OSU athletic director Gene Smith said. "He was phenomenal."

Smith refused to disclose the amount of the loan or identify the person who loaned Young the money that put his eligibility in jeopardy.

Young will sit out OSU's game Saturday at Rutgers, just as he did a 73-14 win over Maryland this past weekend.

That will complete his penalty from the NCAA for accepting a loan that The Athletic's Bruce Feldman has reported was to fly his girlfriend to the Rose Bowl.

Young has said he repaid the loan prior to this season.

"He apologized to his teammates right off the bat," Smith said. "That was a great representation of his character."

Smith said the NCAA Student Opportunity Fund would have been accessible for Young to seek funds for family members to attend any New Year's Six bowl game.

Young leads the No. 2 Buckeyes with 13.5 quarterback sacks.

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit was the first to report the penalty on Wednesday , which will allow Young to return for the Buckeyes final two games regular-season games against No. 9 Penn State, No. 14 Michigan and any games beyond that.

JUST IN.
NCAA has gotten back to @OhioStAthletics appeal and has dropped the games to 2 for Chase Young. This is final. He’s suspended for 2 games and will miss Rutgers Saturday and be back for Penn St and Michigan. His honesty and OSU being forthcoming helped immensely.

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 13, 2019

Young greeted the news on Twitter.

Excited to be back on the field next week! Thank you Buckeye Nation for all the love and support. I’m blessed to be a part of this team, this university, and this community. Lots of love to my family. God Bless and Go Bucks!

— Chase Young (@youngchase907) November 13, 2019

Smith said the NCAA rejected OSU's proposed one-game suspension for Young's violation.

"We requested that the one-game suspension be the penalty," he said. "So, obviously, we felt differently, but we are accepting two."

Smith is one of the most-connected NCAA insiders in college athletics. He has served on virtually every committee of substance, including the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, chair of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, NCAA Management Council and the recent working group that recommended the NCAA work toward compensating athletes for their name and likeness.

So, the idea that Ohio State might fight the NCAA in court to keep Young on the field, as Memphis is doing with basketball player James Wiseman, was never a possibility.

"Let's be clear," Smith said. "A violation occurred. So, you make a business decision. You sit him now or sit him later, because he was going to sit."

Young has registered a sack in 10 consecutive games, dating to last season, and is nine sacks from setting an OSU career record.

Young, who turned 20 in April, is one of just two defensive players named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.

Ohio State declared Young out of its game with Maryland the day before the 73-14 final.

Young explained the matter shortly afterward on his Twitter page.

pic.twitter.com/ji7uTdYXxp

— Chase Young (@youngchase907) November 8, 2019

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