Word is that ESPN has been working quite a while on a story concerning recruiting violations that will bring down a major program. Plenty of schools are nervous. The school most people are guessing is Oregon.
ChrisB":2z66xb9t said:Word is that ESPN has been working quite a while on a story concerning recruiting violations that will bring down a major program. Plenty of schools are nervous. The school most people are guessing is Oregon.
ChrisB":uvgs95h8 said:Word is that ESPN has been working quite a while on a story concerning recruiting violations that will bring down a major program. Plenty of schools are nervous. The school most people are guessing is Oregon.
Alan":1jhstkbg said:I just surfed some of my Duck and other NCAA football sites all I'm finding is the SI article listing crimes by football players. Although I did find out that the Pac 12 just fired a bunch of football officals and hired new ones.... that's long over due.
I hope it's just a rumor, pretty sure it is.
Alan
Oregon Football Recruiting Scandal Could Crush Ducks' Rise to Prominence
In case you haven't already heard, a new college football recruiting scandal has emerged. Meanwhile, unnamed sources have confirmed that the sky is, in fact, blue.
All kidding aside, this latest scandal involves the Oregon Ducks. And from the sound of things, the program could very well be feeling the wrath of the NCAA in the near future.
The issue at hand is the fact that it has been uncovered that the university dished out over $28,000 for "recruiting services" in the spring of 2010, $25,000 of which went to one man.
Oregon officials have freely admitted to doing so, and the latest word from ESPN is that they have agreed to hand over documents to the NCAA that will shed light on exactly what was going on.
What the NCAA is interested in finding out in particular is exactly how $25,000 ended up in the hands of a Texas-based trainer named Willie Lyles, who played a kind of unspecified role in the recruitment of running back Lache Seastrunk in 2010. He also has ties to LaMichael James, who of course was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2010.
Now, it's not necessarily against the rules for programs to pay for recruiting services, and the Oregon brass has stated that they acted within NCAA rules.
However, $25,000 is a lot of money, and there is a rule (NCAA bylaw 12.3.3.1) that states that a program cannot give out "fees" for anybody who helps place a player at the school.
Roughly translated, there are no bonuses. And this is something that Evelyn Seastrunk, Lache's mother, is concerned about.
"Willie said he was a trainer," she said. "Now Oregon says he's a scout? Is he on Oregon's payroll? If Willie Lyles collected $25,000 off my son he needs to be held accountable. The NCAA must find out for me. I don't know how to digest someone cashing in on my son."
She obviously has a point. Forking over such a sum to a recruiter (or whatever Lyles is) like that is essentially no different from giving it to a player's family member, coach, or friend.
Still, despite the fact that this whole situation is such a good excuse to start a witch hunt, it sounds like there is at least a slim possibility that this could end up being much ado about nothing.
If it turns out that Oregon did indeed break the rules, well, ho hum. This is, after all, college football recruiting we're talking about here. The unfortunate reality is that most (if not all) college programs are crooked in some way or another, and actually having to own up for their crimes is a simple matter of getting caught.
As Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, "In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity." That about sums it up.
The Texas connection is no surprise either. Any time a school like Oregon or Illinois or any other goes into a football crazy state like Texas and takes a couple of "their" kids, they get suspicious and start looking into things. It's almost impossible for people at programs like Texas, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, etc. to believe that one of "their" blue chippers would want to leave the state and play somewhere else. So they assume that the out of state school cheated and they start pointing fingers. Happens all the time.
VanC":1dcd410t said:if the NCAA digs deep enough at Oregon they'll probably find some sort of violation. It could be minor, it could be something big, it might or might not involve a coach or two, but it's almost certainly there. But the same could be said of any other major college program, especially football. You dig deep enough and you'll find something there. There's too much money, too much pressure to win and win now, and too much pride involved for there not to be. Call me a cynic, but that's the way I see it.
I agree 100% I think if the NCAA digs deep enough in any major college football program something will turn up. It's the nature of the beast.
As for the Oregon case, it was only a matter of time before someone started pointing fingers. No offense, Alan, but your Ducks haven't exactly been known as a national football power down through the years. All of a sudden, just within the past couple of years, they're on top of the world, or very close. That doesn't mean they cheated to get there, but that's the type of thing that raises eyebrows.
Oregon's program actually started it's turn around around 93, under Rich Brooks, that's when we started beating Washington in a some what consistant manor. In I believe 2004 we finished the season ranked #2, that was the year Nebraska finished 2nd in the Big 12 to Colorado and still went on to play Miami in the National champship game .... the year I learned to hate the BCS system. But I agree with you completly, start pulling kids out of football crazy states like Texas, Florida, Oklahoma watch out! And know that we have been a fairly consistant top 10 team for a few years we do have a target on our back, and much of the country does not like that we have Uncle Phil.
TexasBred":2eub5krq said:Uh oh...I see a church somewhere gettin' a new family life center. :mrgreen:
TexasBred":2bmzxivl said:The Texas connection is no surprise either. Any time a school like Oregon or Illinois or any other goes into a football crazy state like Texas and takes a couple of "their" kids, they get suspicious and start looking into things. It's almost impossible for people at programs like Texas, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, etc. to believe that one of "their" blue chippers would want to leave the state and play somewhere else. So they assume that the out of state school cheated and they start pointing fingers. Happens all the time.
That's one reason for the Texas/Oklahoma rivalry. Over half the kids on the OU team are always from Texas and were highly recruited by TU...LSU does almost as good a job as OU. And it's not just football..it's every sport. Of course TU has them lined up begging to play for them so I don't understand why they get so bent out of shape. Maybe next year TU's last game will be against OU (Oregon University). :nod: :nod: Would love to see the Ducks send them home with their tail between their legs.
Have your fun TB, I figure the everybody will get to thump the Longhorns for another season, but after that look out. I dont think the rebuilding at Austin will takes as long as it has at AggieLand...As for crooks in recruiting, I will mention one the Aggies had....Remember Jackie Sherril....everywhere he went...the NCAA followed....Remember that ol saying about throwing stones when your living in a glass house.
TexasBred":1ienia9i said:Alan":1ienia9i said:I just surfed some of my Duck and other NCAA football sites all I'm finding is the SI article listing crimes by football players. Although I did find out that the Pac 12 just fired a bunch of football officals and hired new ones.... that's long over due.
I hope it's just a rumor, pretty sure it is.
Alan
Alan tell those fellows to take a trip to Austin, Texas when they finish up that way. :mrgreen:
houstoncutter said:TexasBred, I will be the first to admit when it comes to education, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer... Thankfully my daughter did not have my learning disabilities, and got in and out of UT in four years.....BUT....looking at the above quote, doesnt seem that you are implying that the NCAA come to Austin, to give em a medal....As for a Thanksgiving song to put oil on the waters between the warring factions....Bill Pekar's ....The Colors Are ALL THE SAME......Gotta run.... I gotta tint the glass in my house!
Alan":ywiwhs7k said:Houstoncutter, glad to see another college football fan at CT, I hope you and your longhorns join the discussions next year. We had a good thread going most of last season, hope to do the same next year, BTW just so you know I'm an Aggie fan by proxy which means my wife demands it since she's a grad. Ducks in my heart, Aggie's when she's around.
Only 178 days until LSU at Jimmy's place in Dallas .... Too long!
Alan