Bishop Sycamore has become one of the most talked-about high schools in the country after a loss on national television in August. The school, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, was embarrassed in a 58-0 loss at the hands of IMG Academy and the performance led many to question whether or not Bishop Sycamore was a legitimate school.
Since that loss, Bishop Sycamore football has fired its head coach, been accused of writing fake checks to pay for hotels while on the road and seen every opponent on its schedule pull out of games.
New head coach Tyren Jackson spoke with NBC4 in Ohio regarding the Bishop Sycamore program and has not exactly cleaned up the situation:
"We do not offer curriculum. We are not a school. That's not what Bishop Sycamore is, and I think that's what the biggest misconception about us was, and that was our fault. Because that was a mistake on paperwork."
NBC4 backed that quote up, reporting that Bishop Sycamore doesn't have a physical school building or any type of curriculum, despite being identified by the state of Ohio as a "non-charter, non-tax supported school."
Jackson wasn't aware of the school's filling with the Ohio Department of Education after being hired in a different capacity seven months ago. Previous head coach Ron Johnson was fired last week following the team's game against IMG Academy.
In addition, Jackson stated that Bishop Sycamore won't file paperwork to be considered a school for the 2021-22 academic year.
Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that the state was going to conduct an investigation into the legitimacy of Bishop Sycamore. Jackson does plan to cooperate with the state.
"I don't have any problem cooperating, letting them know whatever they want to know and things of that nature," Jackson added. "That stuff should never had happened the way it happened. I'm willing to take responsibility for it and say that it was a mistake. It's something that shouldn't have been that way, and that's something that I have to address stepping into this role."
Jackson, in his own words, categorized Bishop Sycamore as a "post-grad football academy."
