OSU Responds To Sports Illustrated Investigation Into Football Program

"You are not going to like what your are going to hear," said OSU vice president of Athletics Mike Holder Monday.

Holder was speaking about an upcoming Sports Illustrated investigation into misconduct in the football program. Holder says they don't have a lot of specifics, but they know enough to be concerned. The allegations involve paying players, tampering with grades and providing sexual favors for recruits.

9/9/2013 Related Story: Sports Illustrated Releases Details On OSU Investigation Series

"I really feel like at 65 years of age everything I've done up to now has prepared me for this moment in time," said Holder Monday.

According to the university, a majority of the improprieties occurred between 2001 and 2007. The allegations do not involve any current players or coaches. But Mike Gundy was first an offensive coordinator then head coach during that time.

"I know the part about what really may have involved me I'm not sure that we know it all yet," said Gundy at his weekly press conference. "We, our staff, myself, are focused on a team, our team doing the right things."

Still Holder praised the journalists behind the article and said he has asked the NCAA to assign an investigator to this.

"We personally, we are all committed to playing by the rules, doing things the right way here. And for people to say that's not what's happening, that's very disturbing."

Holder says he apologized to other athletic directors in the conference and would like to reach out to all supporters and season ticket holders.

"My message was you're not going to like what you hear, it's going to be a rough few days. But our hope is you may not be proud about what was said about you, but we hope to make you proud about how we delt with it and how we stood up, didn't make any excuses, not going to try and cover anything up."