Air Force football placed on two-year probation for recruiting violations in 2020

The world of college football recruiting is like the Wild West nowadays with Name, Image and Likeness deals (NIL) ruling the roost and giving some schools massive advantages over others.

It's not like those advantages haven't existed in the past, but players being able to get paid business deals of their own — facilitated by the football programs — has been a game-changer. The NCAA still isn't fully caught up on how to police or regulate NIL.

Some of the more run-of-the-mill violations, though? Well, the NCAA has plenty of experience policing those...as Air Force football just found out.

With military recruitment getting harder and harder and COVID-19 mucking up everything in 2020, Air Force was trying to get any kind of edge it could on the recruiting trail.

Brett McMurphy of The Action Network reports that four former Air Force assistant coaches violated NCAA rules "by providing impermissible benefits and hosting high school prospects during the COVID-19 dead period in 2020."

One of those coaches was Bill Sheridan, who just resigned his post as Wisconsin's linebacker coach due to the news.

“While I look forward to presenting my case at a hearing, I am concerned that the NCAA investigation regarding activities that occurred prior to me joining the Wisconsin football staff could be a distraction which could cause harm to the program,” Sheridan said, via McMurphy. “As a result, I am submitting my resignation effective immediately.”

Assistant defensive line coach Del Cowsette and tight ends coach Jonathan Himebauch were also involved, but head coach Troy Calhoun was not.

“Whoever was involved made it clear: ‘Don’t tell Troy (Calhoun) about this,’” a source told McMuprhy. “These were intentional (violations). They knew it was a dead period.”

All coaches were dismissed when Air Forced learned of the violations, and now that the NCAA has investigated the matter, punishment has been dealt out to the football program.

Air Force will be on probation for two years. ESPN's Mark Schlabach provided more details:

"The Falcons also will pay an unspecified fine. Recruiting restrictions include a reduction of 46 total official visits over the next two academic years; a ban on unofficial visits from Sept. 1 through Oct. 12; a four-week ban on recruiting communications this academic year; a reduction by 34 in evaluation days; and a reduction in the size of the football roster by 10 for four years."

Coach Himebauch is currently coaching in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions. Coach Cowsette doesn't appear to be coaching this season. 

There was a fourth coach involved, but he was not named in the reporting.