Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio where controversial game was played (Image: Wikimedia)
Bishop Sycamore High School was supposed to have a top-tier football program, but as they were clobbered 58-0 by IMG Academy in a nationally televised game by ESPN, questions surrounding the results’ legitimacy were raised.
An investigation was launched and found that Bishop Sycamore is a scam, and does not meet the requirements to be labeled an “educational institution” in the state of Ohio. In the 41-page report by the Ohio Department of Education, it says that they were unable to find proof of location, teachers or even enrolled students.
“Ohio families should be able to count on the fact that our schools educate students and don’t exist in name only as a vehicle to play high school sports,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a written statement Friday.
Legally, Bishop Sycamore was identified as a “non-chartered, non-tax-supported school,” which the ODE doesn’t have oversight over because schools under that label are normally allowed to do things differently due to sincerely held religious beliefs. The ODE could not assess whether or not Bishop Sycamore had those beliefs.
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After the 58-0 loss, Bishop Sycamore’s head coach, Ron Johnson was fired. Their new coach Tyren Jackson, seemed to know exactly what kind job he was accepting. He told NBC4 that Bishop Sycamore is not a school.
“That’s not what Bishop Sycamore is, and I think that’s what the biggest misconception about us was, and that was our fault,” Jackson said. “Because that was a mistake on paperwork.”
Jackson did not seem to have previous knowledge that the “school” was registered as a school.
The investigation concluded that Bishop Sycamore was “a way for students to play football against high school teams and potentially increase students’ prospects of playing football at the collegiate level.”
Since the ODE does not have oversight over schools like this, they don’t have the right to penalize Bishop Sycamore for their actions.
Every school slated to play Bishop Sycamore has pulled out in recent days.
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