emails sent to previous coach Jim Tressel

Ohio State and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's variations of how and when major violations had been discovered earlier this yr differ substantially, CBSSports.com has discovered.

That could possibly lead to much more NCAA scrutiny in an currently deepening scandal at the college. Specialists say the discrepancy could trigger the NCAA Committee on Infractions to determine that investigators had been misled within the case that involved emails sent to previous coach Jim Tressel.

In feedback towards the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday, Delany said he discovered the now-former coach withheld emails through the college and the NCAA in mid-January. The commissioner -- "surprised and disappointed" -- additional that he discovered of the info simultaneously because the school and the NCAA because of to an open data request.

When reached for comment, Delany confirmed what he told the Dispatch to CBSSports.com on Wednesday through a big Ten spokesperson. When asked again to clarify on Thursday and give a comprehensive timeline of events, Delany stated that his comments towards the paper had been an "un-refreshed recollection."

The university's self-report to the NCAA says the school found the emails "while reviewing information on an unrelated legal issue." Subsequent reports through the Dispatch subsequent the school's release of their self-report say that the emails were discovered while officials were planning the appeal of players' penalties in a associated student-athlete reinstatement situation.

CBSSports.com obtained all Flexibility of Information Act inquiries directed towards the university. In paperwork released by a college spokesman, the earliest request in 2011 came from Bloomberg News requesting a copy with the school's NCAA Income and Expenditures Report on Jan. 24, a complete 11 days following the school reported they became aware of the emails. Yahoo! Sports activities, which broke the news that Tressel had prior understanding of NCAA violations involving Buckeyes players, submitted its initial open data request towards the school on Feb. 28.

In his remarks Sunday, Delany also stipulated that he and the NCAA were notified right away as soon as the emails had been found.

"In the situation of [Ohio State president] Gordon [Gee] and [athletic director] Gene [Smith], let's place it by doing this: When they had info concerning the tattoo scenario, it went towards the NCAA," Delany informed the paper. "When they'd info about Jim, it went towards the NCAA. And pretty a lot in real time I realized about this."

But according to the school's self-report and subsequent feedback by Smith, Ohio State found the emails on Jan. 13, interviewed Tressel 3 days later on after which knowledgeable Delany on Feb. 2 and also the NCAA a day later on.

"When we came back again through the bowl game, we discovered, via another procedure we had been gathering info on another matter, that there have been some emails that Coach Tressel had received that had revealed that he had some prior knowledge regarding the issue with our student athletes," Smith stated at a March 8 press conference. "We informed commissioner Jim Delany and also the extremely subsequent day we notified the NCAA of our issue.

"We asked them on Feb. three to come and join us in the investigation which was started."