IMG Academy ranks as one of the top football programs in the country, No. 2 in the country according to MaxPreps, so them blowing out a team is not usually big news. However, when the team they were playing didn’t really exist, it tends to gain a ton of traction online.
Basically, Bishop Sycamore had no reason to be playing IMG Academy on ESPN.
“Bishop Sycamore told us they had a number of Division I prospects on their roster, and to be frank, a lot of that, we could not verify,” commentator Anish Shroff said. “They did not show up in our database, they did not show up in the databases of other recruiting services. So, OK, that’s what you’re telling us, fine, that’s how we take it in. From what we’ve seen so far, this is not a fair fight, and there’s got to be a point where you’re worried about health and safety.”
It was such an embarrassing and possibly dangerous game to happen, that even the Ohio governor had to speak out on it.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine issued a strong statement on Twitter.
“Like many Ohioans, I am concerned by the recent reports and questions raised about Bishop Sycamore,” DeWine said in a statement. “While this weekend’s football game brought concerns about the health and safety of players, it also raised red flags about the school’s operations.”
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“Schools like Bishop Sycamore have an obligation under Ohio law to meet certain minimum standards,” the statement continued. “Whether Bishop Sycamore meets these standards is not clear. I have asked @OHEducation to conduct an investigation into Bishop Sycamore to ensure compliance with Ohio law and to ensure the school is providing the educational opportunities Ohio students deserve.”
ESPN claims Bishop Sycamore widely exaggerated the number of highly recruited players it claimed to have when the game was scheduled by Paragon. They didn’t even give them a proper roster of the players on the team.
Bishop Sycamore is not recognized by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, and The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) lists no charter school by the name of Bishop Sycamore.
