NCAA inquiry is the last thing Georgia and Mark Richt need (UPDATED)
Mark Richt is trying to turn Georgia's program around. An NCAA inquiry doesn't help.
(UPDATED at 7:45 p.m.)
Georgia can finally count itself in the same company as Alabama and Florida — just not in the way everybody hoped.
According to our Tim Tucker, the NCAA has contacted Georgia to inform the school of an “inquiry” on campus.
This is never good news.
Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton emailed a statement, reading: “I have been asked numerous times over the last two days whether we had been contacted by the NCAA and the answer has been ‘no.’ … Late Wednesday afternoon, the University of Georgia received a call from the NCAA requesting permission to conduct an inquiry on the UGA campus. Athletic Association officials indicated that full cooperation would be provided. The NCAA has requested that UGA officials, coaches, and/or student-athletes decline further comment until the inquiry is completed.”
The best case scenario for the Bulldogs is that this inquiry goes nowhere, because if coach Mark Richt suddenly has to deal with a full-fledged investigation and even the potential of NCAA sanctions, after last year’s down season, it could hamper his efforts to move the program forward.
No reason was given for the inquiry. But given recent news, it could be connected with investigations into illegal contact between various college players and agents. Players from Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina been linked with a party hosted by an agent in South Miami Beach earlier this summer. If the players were compensated for the trip in any way — travel, lodging, meals — it would negate their amateur status and constitute an NCAA violation. Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus reportedly is among those under investigation.
Former Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, a first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been accused of taking $100,000 from an agent following last year’s SEC title game and before the Sugar Bowl, which also would constitute an NCAA violation. Pouncey denies the charge.
UPDATE: Stories on SI.com and TMZ.com both referenced wide receiver A.J. Green about an agent’s Memorial Day weekend party in Miami. Green denies being at the party in the SI.com story. The TMZ.com story says Georgia “ is investigating” whether Green attended.
A source said one potential interview subject is junior receiver A.J. Green, but if enforcement officials plan to ask Green about the now-infamous party in Miami Beach, Fla., on Memorial Day weekend that prompted the inquiries at North Carolina and South Carolina and an internal investigation at Alabama, they won’t learn much.
Reached by phone Tuesday night — almost a day before the NCAA contacted Georgia — Green told SI.com that he did not attend the party. Green, who is considered on of the nation’s best receivers, said a Georgia compliance official asked him Tuesday if he attended the party. Green said he spent Memorial Day weekend at home in Summerville, S.C.
“I never went to South Beach,” Green told SI.com.
TMZ has learned the University of Georgia is investigating whether football star A.J. Green partied on South Beach at the same bash that’s launched investigations at three other colleges.A source closely connected to Georgia’s athletic department tells TMZ the wide receiver allegedly attended a party at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami on Memorial Day weekend. Partying alone isn’t a crime under NCAA rules — Green is 21 years old — but if someone (like an agent or financial adviser) paid for anything related to Green’s trip, that could be a violation.
Agents and their pursuit of college players dominated the first day of SEC media days.
Alabama coach Nick Saban referred to agents as pimps.
Florida coach Urban Meyer called agents “predators.”
Call them what you like, they’re the major story right now.
What level are your concerns about the inquiry into Georgia?
♦
Previous SEC/Georgia posts
♦ It’s no coincidence Saban suddenly is concerned about agents
♦ SEC media days: Hey, who let the BCS in here?
♦ We’re LIVE at SEC media days (with no shortage of storylines)
♦ NCAA reportedly investigating Florida (but temper excitement)
♦ Can Dogs end Alabama-Florida monopoly in SEC title game?
♦ Listen up, Ole Miss: I’ve got Colonel Reb’s replacement
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
256 comments Add your comment
thunderbull56
July 21st, 2010
8:10 pm
Come on Lucy ’splain to me why the school and the clean players are penalized,often years after the fact, and the playa,and I use that in term in tha’ gangsta’ esque of ways,and the professional sleaze balls classified as “Agents” aren’t the one’s going to jail,paying fines,kissing AD’s behinds, you get my drift? In other words why should Alabama’s,Southern Cal’s current innocents be penalized and the perps are all out making millions ‘cluding the coaches? Kinda like knockin’ up a lady and expecting someone else to pay for and rear the child.
Jethro
July 21st, 2010
8:11 pm
How many Wake Forest players were there?
Beast from the East
July 21st, 2010
8:11 pm
Jeff,
Make sure you’re not implicated in any of the SoHoo parties that will surely take place over the next couple of days. These agents are looking for the next big sportswriter, too!
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
8:12 pm
“A source closely connected to Georgia’s athletic department tells TMZ the wide receiver allegedly attended a party at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami on Memorial Day weekend.”
If AJ Green has denied it to Coach Richt, then just who is this source within the athletic department and where does he get information that apparently the head coach isn’t privy to? Sounds like a whole lot of nothing to me.
Heyward22
July 21st, 2010
8:13 pm
I am a GT fan, but I am a little torn here. While on one hand it’s incredibly selfish for these high profile players to go to an agent party, if they knew it was, knowing that they could be ruled ineligible and thus leaving their team in a pickle. However, if they didn’t know and it was completely innocent then they shouldn’t be ruled ineligible, but somehow else reprimanded to remind them and future players to think about things like this first.
FWIW, I don’t think AJ Green would have been there, and fellow GT fans, I would suggest we not flame UGA fans until something like this. Remember, UGA fans were flaming UA and UF players just hours ago for this, and now they aren’t laughing much anymore. Let’s learn that lesson.
SD Dawg
July 21st, 2010
8:13 pm
These kids know what they can and can’t do. Get caught, pay the price. I say yank their eligibility. And that goes for Green too if he was in fact a part of the fray. I have no sympathy for these athletes. They live a charmed life even though the game is dangerous to their health. The only way it stops is if people (players, agents, boosters, and all) pay some sort of legal price. The NFL needs to step in and help too.
What a mess. God bless us this season. We can’t get out of our own way. When was the last time we went into a season with only on the field issues.
Sorry, but I am sick of it.
Beast from the East
July 21st, 2010
8:15 pm
thunderbull56,
I agree in principle with most of your comments. However, I simply cannot feel sorry for USC as long as Kiffen is their choice as the face of their program. Their president allowed their recently ousted AD to hire that scumbag and in my opnion, they deserve each other.
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
July 21st, 2010
8:15 pm
UGA needs to start fresh with a new A.D. The A.D. issue, numerous player issues, coach tells the players to rush the field intentially getting an unsportsmanship penalty, fan behavior. It seems top to bottom and everywhere in between.
Another Source
July 21st, 2010
8:18 pm
I agree Bad Dawg, sick of this attituede, players and our fellow fans alike. Need a pact or somekind of agreement to change the image. UGA has a bad wrap because of stuff like this.
Tim Tebow's Tears
July 21st, 2010
8:20 pm
I agree Heyward
Clud Bannakerstrom
July 21st, 2010
8:21 pm
No biggie. Minor infraction. Slap on the wrist, then UGA players can go back to drinking and driving.
meansonny
July 21st, 2010
8:21 pm
Gotta love the internet.
A story breaks… and 4 hours there is unconfirmend confirmation.
4 Dawgs were present.
Michael Moore, Jeff Owens, Reshad Jones, & Prince Miller.
The party was on Memorial Day Weekend.
We can all now go to bed.
meansonny
July 21st, 2010
8:23 pm
Regarding TMZ… they are also the group that confirmed LEBRON TO NEW YORK!
They amazingly break a lot of stories first.
Yet, their batting average is around the Mendoza line when they are the first report in terms of accuracy.
HARLEYDAWG FAN
July 21st, 2010
8:24 pm
WHY IS THEY PICKIN ON THE DAWGS? TEHY AINT DONE NUTTIN WRONG CUZ THEY CANT PROVE N E THING.
GO DAWGS I ALWAYS BE 4 U!
The Ghost of Wally Butts
July 21st, 2010
8:26 pm
This news, if true, doesn’t surprise me one bit about AJ “Push Off” Green. Those who believe he pays for his diamond earrings can keep on drinking Kool-Aid I reckon.
In a larger sense, all of this hypocrisy will probably come to an end sooner than later. We all know that elite college programs are in essence the minor leagues of the NFL and that the players are provided perks (money and, ahem, “otherwise”). Perhaps the process will be institutionalized soon, instead of this hypocritical infraction junk.
HARLEYDAWG FAN
July 21st, 2010
8:29 pm
THIS IS NO FARE! I BET NICK SABER IS BEHIND THIS CUZ HE WORRIED THE DAWGS WILL WHUP HIM THIS SESSION
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
8:29 pm
Unconfirmed confirmation? That’s alarmingly reassuring.
Brand Loyalty
July 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
If all you dawg fans would step back far enough and look at the big picture you will see that your school is just once big mess.
crabapplejoe
July 21st, 2010
8:36 pm
Looks like A.J. went pro a little early…
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
8:36 pm
I’m sure that’s an objective comment Brand Loyalty.
Dawg78
July 21st, 2010
8:37 pm
I have heard that AJ was in miami and is telling a big lie because some shady stuff went down in miami. If this turns out to be the case, AJ may not be able to play this year and our program will be hit hard. This will be no slap on the wrist. The NCAA claims they will take a hard line on this and stiff penalties will be thrust to the programs if this is found out. With all the arrests with our players, lets be real here…We do not have the smartest bunch on the block people! I believe this is the start of something bad for this program and CMR will be done at UGA within 2-3 more years.
POSER
July 21st, 2010
8:37 pm
Getting sick of all this! I guess each school needs to hire several babysitters for the recruits. And follow them everywhere.
Gainesville D.A. is a Gator booster
July 21st, 2010
8:37 pm
The UGA players that were at the Miami party were players that have already signed with NFL teams. Everybody needs to settle down. Don’t believe everything you read. Especially if TMZ is reporting it. I’m disappointed in you Jeff.
Dawglasville
July 21st, 2010
8:46 pm
I wish it would end now. Set up a minor league system like baseball and then make the kids compete for a scholarship after they pass the same requirements the rest of us have to pass to get into school. Screw the agents, screw the kids on the take, screw NIKE, and Russell, and those involved at all of the schools who don’t give a crap about these kids. College football and basketball are just filthy with greed and hypocrisy on all levels.
Vince Lombardi
July 21st, 2010
8:47 pm
Who stole my Green Bay Packers “G”???
TampaGator
July 21st, 2010
8:47 pm
Anybody think all this bull crap was hatched by Lane Kiffin after his favorite team got slammed with a near death penalty by the NCAA? I wouldn’t put it past the jerk.
heywood...
July 21st, 2010
8:48 pm
kinda gotta agree with “left to right”, jeff.
but still love you and your work. see the point?
TampaGator
July 21st, 2010
8:49 pm
P.S. TMZ is located in LA….Kiffin is in LA….????? Just saying.
Urban Meyer
July 21st, 2010
8:50 pm
This is a nightmare for the schools involved because: 1) the recent USC sanctions 2) Current momentum and appearence of the NCAA hammering down 3) no school with any player involved is going to allow other schools to get by on a free ride, if one goes down they’ll all have players go down. The bright side is Florida just got a committ from Chris Martin, 6:4 240 lbs #1 LB in this past class. How does Florida do it?
Tao
July 21st, 2010
8:54 pm
Nothing to see here. NERDS have been playing ineligible players for years.
thunderbull56
July 21st, 2010
8:56 pm
Beast,sorry I too would never feel sorry for SC, just using them as an example with Bush.A better example would have been way back with SMU, a proud SWC member and their “Death Penalty”.
Tao
July 21st, 2010
8:58 pm
How do you think Reggie Bush got Kim Kardashian? She is an expensive habit.
Gatorbait
July 21st, 2010
8:59 pm
Let’s hope it is not true. The Gator Nation would love for Richt to at UGA for a long time.
Gatorbait
July 21st, 2010
9:00 pm
Yep a 5 star commit today who was supposed to be a freshman at Cal this year.
puleeeze
July 21st, 2010
9:07 pm
Schultz, for a guy who writes stuff for a “sports” section, you sure are dense. SEC teams split bowl money evenly (once expenses are taken out) Georgia and Florida made the same from bowls last year (as did Vandy and Miss St. ……)
Alledgedly
July 21st, 2010
9:11 pm
Reporters, Include me and you can write anything, true or not.
SickandTired
July 21st, 2010
9:14 pm
Surely someone associated with the Georgia football program couldn’t be guilty of poor judgement. This is just a witch hunt because ESPN and the SEC is afraid Georgia is going to run the table this year because this is gonna be a great season. Mark Richt is such a nice Christian fella and let’s always remember he was mentored by Bobby Bowden and he never had any problems with the NCAA did he?
another strike for UGA
July 21st, 2010
9:17 pm
In the photo above if you give Mark Richt a black cowboy hat and a whip he would be a spitting image of Lash LaRue……
Heyward22
July 21st, 2010
9:17 pm
SickandTired….yeah….Ok….UGA.
Run the table.
Notice how I didn’t include them in the same sentence.
thunderbull56
July 21st, 2010
9:18 pm
And let it not be misconstrued there are myriad ways to run afoul of the NCAA.
shane
July 21st, 2010
9:18 pm
Hmmm Florida and Alabama and UNC and South Carolina all were involved in this story and not a word on AJC.
Now that UGA is mentioned its everywhere
See a pattern here?
shane
July 21st, 2010
9:19 pm
Surely someone associated with the Georgia football program couldn’t be guilty of poor judgement.
Maybe but not as bad as Georgia Tech which used ineligble players a few years back and got busted big time.
Demon Evans
July 21st, 2010
9:20 pm
Did anybody find some red panties?
Heyward22
July 21st, 2010
9:21 pm
shane…yep and GT is paying and almost has it paid off.
Good thing that coach isn’t here anymore and GT has moved on.
dobearsbare
July 21st, 2010
9:22 pm
You know what worries me? The fact that TMZ is reporting it. You can make all the snarky comments about their credibility you want, but they’ve been right an awful lot. I hope there’s nothing to it, but they’re right and they’re first on a lot of things.
dobearsbare
July 21st, 2010
9:26 pm
And, if it turns out to be true and he lied about it … whoa nellie
Robert
July 21st, 2010
9:28 pm
Here’s the difference between the Georgia situation, and Bama and Florida’s situation: Bama and Florida reported their incidents to the NCAA. In contrast, the NCAA called Georgia and told them they were coming. Not good for the Bulldogs. Not good at all. If Bulldog fans were giving Bama a hard time…well, you’re looking REALLY foolish now. I wonder if the NCAA will ask Georgia why they didn’t self report like Bama did?
Heyward22
July 21st, 2010
9:30 pm
dobearsbare
July 21st, 2010
9:26 pm
And, if it turns out to be true and he lied about it … whoa nellie
He’ll just be like Dez Bryant and sit out the year until the draft. Bad for UGA and him.
Heyward22
July 21st, 2010
9:31 pm
Robert,
Good point. I am surprised Saban was so quick to self report, but with the recent NC, I wouldn’t want the NCAA threatening to take it away.
harold
July 21st, 2010
9:31 pm
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR RICHT & GEORGIA!