planning the appeal of players' penalties

Ohio State and Large Ten commissioner Jim Delany's versions of how and when major violations were discovered earlier this year vary significantly, CBSSports.com has discovered.

That could quite possibly lead to more NCAA scrutiny in an currently deepening scandal at the college. Experts say the discrepancy could cause the NCAA Committee on Infractions to find out that investigators were misled in the case that concerned emails sent to previous coach Jim Tressel.

In comments towards the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday, Delany stated he learned that the now-former coach withheld emails through the school and the NCAA in mid-January. The commissioner -- "surprised and disappointed" -- additional that he learned with the info at the same time because the school and the NCAA due to an open records request.

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

The university's self-report towards the NCAA says the college found the emails "while reviewing info on an unrelated legal issue." Subsequent reports by the Dispatch subsequent the school's release of their self-report say that the emails had been discovered whilst officials were planning the appeal of players' penalties inside a associated student-athlete reinstatement situation.

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

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

"In the case of [Ohio State president] Gordon [Gee] and [athletic director] Gene [Smith], let's put it this way: When they had information concerning the tattoo situation, it went to the NCAA," Delany told the paper. "When they had information about Jim, it went towards the NCAA. And fairly a lot in real time I realized about this."

But in accordance to the school's self-report and subsequent comments by Smith, Ohio State discovered the emails on Jan. 13, interviewed Tressel three days later on after which knowledgeable Delany on Feb. 2 and the NCAA each day later.

"When we came back again through the bowl game, we found, via an additional procedure we were gathering info on another matter, that there have been some emails that Coach Tressel had received that had exposed that he had some prior understanding concerning the issue with our student athletes," Smith said at a March eight press conference. "We informed commissioner Jim Delany and the very subsequent day we notified the NCAA of our issue.

"We asked them on Feb. 3 to arrive and join us in the investigation which was started."