OT: Ohio "high school" scams way onto ESPN; shades of "College of Faith"

[ctrabs74]

Anyone recall the embarrassing "College of Faith" scam from a few years ago, in which some D2 programs ended up scheduling this fake college?

What appears to be happening with this "Bishop Sycamore High School" in Columbus would make the COF scam look legit.

"Bishop Sycamore" - which appears to be a cover for some online charter school - got rolled by IMG Academy 58-0 on ESPN Sunday night. And there are a lot of stories coming out about this "school" in which some players are allegedly over 18 and might have some JUCO experience.

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/we-...g-shadier.html

Let's just say there are a lot of allegations of fraud surrounding this "school" and it's coaching staff:

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/wha...re-player.html

What an embarrassment...

[CALUPA69]

Anyone recall the embarrassing "College of Faith" scam from a few years ago, in which some D2 programs ended up scheduling this fake college?

What appears to be happening with this "Bishop Sycamore High School" in Columbus would make the COF scam look legit.

"Bishop Sycamore" - which appears to be a cover for some online charter school - got rolled by IMG Academy 58-0 on ESPN Sunday night. And there are a lot of stories coming out about this "school" in which some players are allegedly over 18 and might have some JUCO experience.

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/we-...g-shadier.html

Let's just say there are a lot of allegations of fraud surrounding this "school" and it's coaching staff:

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/wha...re-player.html

What an embarrassment...

Hey, if recent history has taught us anything it is the truth of the Con Man's Creed " There's a Sucker Born Every Minute" !

[zimmy21]

I just simply don't understand how ESPN and IMG were scammed into this. If you run a recruit ranking website don't you think you could double check all of this?

[SW_Mustang]

snip

Such a bad look for everyone involved. Honestly, I feel bad for IMG the most. A high powered program gets embarrassed on national TV - after a blowout win no less. I just hope their rankings don't get hurt because of this. That's saying a lot given how they are no Cinderella program...

Honestly can't figure out how people keep falling for these scam schools anyway - I get the desperation to play, but yeesh...

[laker]

The first thing that I thought about was Lenae Kakua. The second thing that I thought about was this from 1941.- Jonny Chung, the Celestial Comet.

YouRememberThat.Com - Taking You Back In Time... - College Football Hoax 1941

[laker]

Such a bad look for everyone involved. Honestly, I feel bad for IMG the most. A high powered program gets embarrassed on national TV - after a blowout win no less. I just hope their rankings don't get hurt because of this. That's saying a lot given how they are no Cinderella program...

Honestly can't figure out how people keep falling for these scam schools anyway - I get the desperation to play, but yeesh...

I can. I just think of Jonestown. And Hale-Bopp Marshall Applewhite Heaven's Gate. People believe what they want to hear rather than the truth.

[SW_Mustang]

I can. I just think of Jonestown. And Hale-Bopp Marshall Applewhite Heaven's Gate. People believe what they want to hear rather than the truth.

Yeah, I suppose your right - though to be fair the conclusion of the former was definitely not voluntary, unlike the latter.

There was one of these fake schools in the MSHSL some years ago. Like most schools, they came and went pretty quietly - though their girl's team did have to withdraw from the stat tournament in 2014:

The Strange Case of Achiever Academy | A Patient Cycle

I happen to think something similar is going to happen with Lincoln University in the GNAC territory - they definitely don't pass the smell test.

[Twincitiesmav]

Yeah, I suppose your right - though to be fair the conclusion of the former was definitely not voluntary, unlike the latter.

There was one of these fake schools in the MSHSL some years ago. Like most schools, they came and went pretty quietly - though their girl's team did have to withdraw from the stat tournament in 2014:

The Strange Case of Achiever Academy | A Patient Cycle

I happen to think something similar is going to happen with Lincoln University in the GNAC territory - they definitely don't pass the smell test.

Sounds an awful lot like Gentry Academy now..

[laker]

This guy was passing himself off as Bishop Sycamore. Pretty obvious that it was a fake- wrong foliage.

[Wildcat Khan]

Yeah, I suppose your right - though to be fair the conclusion of the former was definitely not voluntary, unlike the latter.

There was one of these fake schools in the MSHSL some years ago. Like most schools, they came and went pretty quietly - though their girl's team did have to withdraw from the stat tournament in 2014:

The Strange Case of Achiever Academy | A Patient Cycle

I happen to think something similar is going to happen with Lincoln University in the GNAC territory - they definitely don't pass the smell test.

I'm curious about Lincoln too who lost last weekend to AZ Christian. It would be sad if SFU beats them and then the game doesn't count as a win (won't for D2 I know) and they end up having to lose that victory with how poorly they have played in recent years. Their last decent season was when both SD Mines and Dixie State were still in the GNAC and SFU finished middle of the pack. Lincoln at least has real buildings unlike Bishop Sycamore and has been around since 1919. They can also buy rules get JoCo players that can't make D1-FCS teams with no D2 football in California anymore.

That said, I know people that turned 19 during HS. One friend who shares my birthday got out of HS when 18, graduated when 19 as our birthday was in between the last day of school and graduation. That doesn't sound like it is the case here though. I also wonder if this may effect some of those basketball academy schools, but at least most of them seem legit and have physical facilities.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sport...ns/5679266001/ From the Columbus paper where the school "officially" is. Last year's enrollment.... 3 kids