Bishop Sycamore scandal just as strange on anniversary
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BVM) — It has been one year since a nationally televised game between two high school football powerhouses: IMG Academy and Bishop Sycamore.
Or so we thought it would be.
The game turned out to be a bloodbath with IMG Academy winning 58-0 and the least interesting thing about this matchup was the game itself.
Following an investigation conducted by the Ohio Department of Education in December 2021, Bishop Sycamore was deemed as a scam.聽
The 鈥渟chool鈥� was based in Columbus, Ohio, and filled out its roster by recruiting kids from across the country. The problem was that the majority of their roster actually were not kids at all, but instead grown men looking for an opportunity to make it to the college level.
The lies did not stop there as they spread misinformation about having Division I-committed athletes. Players were housed in hotels and some of them had active arrest warrants according to an article by .
Bishop Sycamore having post graduates on its team is forever wild
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake)
Bishop Sycamore began in 2019 but did not pick up steam until the 2020 season when they took advantage of COVID-19 pandemic cancellations, filling in as a replacement. They finished the year 0-6 and actually played IMG Academy that season as well, losing 56-6.
But they did not receive national attention till their following matchup with the Florida powerhouse.
As the ESPN televised game got closer to the end. The broadcast team admitted that they were not able to verify the stars on Bishop Sycamore鈥檚 roster. Even though they were told about them by the coaching staff, they did not appear in any recruiting databases.
One year ago today, Roy Johnson and Bishop Sycamore gave us a memory that we will never forget.
— Deablo fan account (@DeferredWalkOn)
According to an article by , the team attempted to use two fake checks to pay for their hotel following the game and caused $750 worth of damage.
This would be just the beginning of the oddities that were connected with Bishop Sycamore.
After the game, it was clear that the sketchiness of the program was not by coincidence, with investigations shortly ensuing.聽
When looked further into the school, nothing seemed to add up. And this started with a simple google search of their website.
Their mailing address was a P.O. box and their physical address was actually just a sports training facility. If you wanted to find out more information about the school, that was impossible with blank 鈥渁bout us鈥� and 鈥渟taff鈥� pages. The school was also not a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.聽
Amidst the controversy, Bishop Sycamore鈥檚 remaining three opponents canceled their games. In the state鈥檚 findings in December, the department of education recommended the attorney general to look into legal action in their official report.
On the anniversary of their national game in 2021, HBO has announced a documentary about the fake school that will dissect the bizarreness and the scandal.
Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe will direct upcoming Bishop Sycamore football documentary 鈥淏S High,鈥� which will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max in 2023.
— Variety (@Variety)
With there being an unknown element about some of the details one year later, it should make your watchlist when it releases.