Florida State’s appeal says giving up wins by Bobby Bowden and others is unfair penalty

Florida State says giving up wins unfair penalty

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State is arguing it’s unfair to make football coach Bobby Bowden and others they say played no role in an academic cheating scandal give up wins.

The university appealed an NCAA infractions committee decision Wednesday to strip the school of victories in several sports, including individual records of innocent coaches and athletes.

An NCAA appeal committee next will consider the case.

If the infractions committee decision stands, Bowden could lose up to 14 wins. That would give him little chance of catching Penn State’s Joe Paterno as major college football’s winningest coach. Paterno has 383 victories, one more than Bowden.