I will just point to this article for my facts:
DesMoinesRegister.com
This ruling is beyond ridiculous for the following reasons:
1. From what I can tell, this rule was not even in place when these players were playing on the team in question. If the NCAA was a state actor this would be an unconstitutional ex-post facto application of the rule.
2. The ruling is punishing individuals who did not personally benefit from the violations. By contrast, players who have actually taken compensation have been suspended for much shorter periods and still have their Heismen trophies.
3. The players attempted to comply with the rules. Handing out a maximum sentence to a player that consciously tried to follow the rules violates all notions of fairness and justice. This also speaks to the fact that the rules are not clear and are overbroad.
For the above reasons I request that the NCAA re-evaluate this ruling as soon as possible.