Jim Tressell says that the Buckeye 5 have pledged to return to OSU in 2011 and would not have traveled to the Sugar Bowl had they not.
We told them they would have to make the decision on the NFL prior to leaving for the bowl game. It wouldn’t be fair to not face the consequences down the road.
From Yahoo's Dr. Saturday on the difference between Cam Newton and the Buckeye 5 -
...there are one of three ways to be declared ineligible re: improper benefits: a) Accept the benefits; b) Ask for benefits with your kid's knowledge, even if you don't receive anything; or c) Ask for benefits, then send your kid to the school you solicited, whether or not anyone received anything or the kid knows anything.
It's possible that the Newtons are the first case the NCAA has ever encountered that managed to slip through all three layers of that net, according to the official ruling: No benefits, no knowledge, kid went somewhere else. (If dad's only askin', well, alright. Just keep him at arm's length so he can't ask anymore, OK?) Depending on how well the ambitious fathers of America are able to cover the money trail, though, it's a good bet it isn't going to be the last, until that loophole is airtight and somebody finds out the hard way. Then, we'll hear some real complaints.
Also of note, Ohio State led the nation in football program spending over a 12 month period ending in mid-2010. The bill, according to the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool, was a whopping $31,763,036.
