by Birmingham News

There are much worse fates for the University of Alabama than having the NCAA take away 21 victories from three football seasons that were memorable mostly for too few wins and too many off-the-field problems.

Like facing three more years of probation and five years in which the school is subject to a ''death penalty'' that would shut down an athletic program for major violations. That's the real punishment meted out against the school as a result of student-athletes violating NCAA policy on student textbooks.

Thursday, the NCAA announced sanctions for ''major'' violations that go far beyond the football program. In fact, the textbook case involved 201 student-athletes in 16 sports, including 22 ''intentional wrongdoers'' who knew they were receiving improper benefits by getting free textbooks for girlfriends, friends and other student-athletes. Seven of the intentional wrongdoers were football players; four of those obtained the highest dollar amounts of improper benefits, according to the NCAA.

The sanctions: public reprimand and censure; three years of probation beginning immediately; vacation of all wins involving the seven intentional wrongdoers on the football team, as well as individual records of the 15 other intentional wrongdoers; and a fine to the NCAA of $43,900.

Yes, the punishment could have been worse. Too many times recently, it has been. Consider this: By June 2014, when the new five-year ''repeat-offender'' window closes, the University of Alabama will have spent 161/2 of the 19 years since 1995 in that window.

Four times since 1995, the NCAA has issued major sanctions against UA athletics, three involving football and one for basketball. That is four times too many for a university and its fan base that once prided itself for never having run afoul of the NCAA.

As the NCAA Committee on Infractions said in its report, ''Although the committee commends the institution for selfdiscovering, investigating and reporting the textbook violations, it remains troubled, nonetheless, by the scope of the violations in this instance and by the institution's recent history of infractions cases.''

At least that's better than what the infractions committee said in 2002, when it almost gave Alabama football the death penalty for illegal recruiting actions that brought ''unprecedented disgrace to the university.''

Thursday's announcement doesn't fit the ''unprecedented disgrace'' category, but more than the NCAA should be troubled. Start with UA President Robert Witt. And Athletics Director Mal Moore. Add UA board members, coaches, faculty, staff, students and alumni. And fans.

The NCAA punishment does nothing but damage the university's rising reputation as an institution of higher learning.

For the next five years, UA officials must make sure every athletic program, not just football, stays clean. That's easier said than done when too many fans are willing to win at all costs. All it takes is one rogue booster, one crooked coach, one recruit or student-athlete with a hand out, to bring down a whole program.

Thursday, the NCAA issued a warning that it won't tolerate any more major violations from this repeat offender. The Bama Nation better have listened.

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