(Image Source: Idaho Statesman)

BY MATT NOONAN

You're watching multisource sports video news analysis from Newsy.
 

The Boise State Broncos are all grown up.

If big time bowl victories weren't enough, the darlings of college football now share something else in common with their big brothers in the BCS conferences... NCAA sanctions.

So what landed Boise in hot water? Free cars? Free tattoos? Cash payments? Nope.  Apparently the school committed the heinous crime -- of allowing incoming Freshmen to crash on current football players' couches during the summer.

The Idaho Statesman explains:

“The long-standing practice led to two forms of violations. Some recruits received impermissible benefits, such as free or reduced-cost housing, meals and transportation. And coaches aren’t allowed to arrange housing, even if the recruits pay full price.”

KRNV gives us the damage report:

“Boise State has been placed on probation for three years. The NCAA also imposed other sanctions for major violations by the football program and other sports. So how will this affect their football team? Well the Broncos will have 9 fewer scholarships to hand out through the 2013-2014 season.”

So do the penalties levied against Boise State match the crime? One ESPN blogger doesn't think so:

“Those violations pale in comparison to what other schools across the country have been charged with... Boise State does not dispute that it broke some rules and should be held accountable... But why were [Boise's] proposed three scholarship losses not enough for the NCAA?”

A Journal Gazette columnist thinks the added penalties are a simple case of NCAA bias:

“Riddle me this: The frauds and moneychangers who run the NCAA refuse to pile on Ohio State because the university had self-imposed a good chunk of punishment already... Gee, this couldn't have anything to do with the fact that Ohio State is a bigger (i.e., more lucrative) bowl draw than Boise, could it?”

An SB Nation blogger has a slightly different theory. He tweets:

“The NCAA was so mad at Ohio St they smacked Boise."

Transcript by Newsy.