Bakersfield College Announces Plans to Appeal Athletics Sanctions

Today, Bakersfield College announced that the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously voted to pursue an appeal of athletics sanctions passed down by the Southern California Football Association.

The Kern Community College District Board of Trustees met on Monday, May 20 and determined that an appeal to the sanctions is the next step in the process of returning the 2012 championship to the Renegades.

In response to the decision, Dr. Sonya Christian, president of Bakersfield College, said "I am pleased our trustees have given us the go-ahead to pursue an appeal. I've already begun working with Bakersfield College staff to prepare the necessary materials."

Bakersfield College has ten days from last week's sanctions announcement to lodge an appeal.

On May 14, the Southern California Football Association notified Bakersfield College of the findings of the inquiry. The Association found Bakersfield College to be non-compliant with CCCAA Bylaw 2, which governs subsidizing, inducements, and special privileges. Seven violations were noted in three categories. Bakersfield College was found to be:

• Paying students for work with funds raised by a non-affiliated booster club. The work was arranged outside the oversight of Bakersfield College, and was provided to football student athletes only.
• Housing Bakersfield College football student athletes from outside the permissible recruiting area in lodging facilitated by staff.
• Facilitating the payment of rent to the owner of the housing.
• Implying the availability of housing and student work to gain interest from players.
• Providing a weekly meal to football student athletes which were subsidized by boosters.
• Providing a pre-game dinner to football student athletes before home games.

As a result of the findings, Bakersfield College has been forced to void all wins for the 2011 and 2012 football seasons, and has been removed from the 2012 California Community College Athletics Association championship. The Bakersfield College football team has also been placed on a post-season ban for the 2013 season, and will be on probation for the 2013 and 2014 seasons

"I maintain that the sanctions were not appropriate and the penalties levied against student athletes did not match the violations," added Christian. "We will work diligently to protest these sanctions until every last option is exhausted."

Bakersfield College will continue to update the community in regard to the appeal process as new developments take place.

Story picked up by: 

• KBAK-TV 29 CBS
• The Bakersfield Californian
• KERO-TV 23 ABC
• First Look with Scott Cox
• Bakersfield Observed
• KERO-TV 23 ABC (BC gets more time to appeal footbal sanctions)