Look at Tennessee. Their football program was facing hundreds of NCAA violations- that investigation took 3 years- and 18 of those violations were Level I- the most serious type of NCAA violation there is.
Despite facing 18 Level I violations, the Vols avoided the death penalty, avoided any tv, CCG, or bowl bans. They got a slap on the wrist. Paid an $8 million fine (which is nothing to a helmet school), probation for 5 years, vacated wins (which not a single person actually cares about), and had a 28 total scholarship reduction over 5 years. Which totals out to 5.6 a year. Slap on the wrist.