NCAA right to end investigation into Cam Newton, Auburn
Cam Newton can celebrate another victory. The NCAA has closed the book on its investigation.
The conspiracy theories won’t end. But the NCAA says its investigation into Cam Newton’s recruitment by Auburn is over.
College’s football’s relative governing body announced Wednesday it was closing the book on Newton and Auburn after conducting “more than 80 interviews,” apparently none of whom claimed — and could verify — that they were offered money, took money or had a cash register receipt for somebody who did.
Go ahead and whine. But I’m not sure how you can fault the NCAA on this. There is little question the NCAA, for all of the criticism it has received over the past several months on how it has handled this, would have nailed Auburn and/or Newton if it could have. The NCAA is not above wanting to make a big show of things.
The problem: There’s simply no evidence of wrongdoing.
Here’s a copy of the NCAA’s statement:
After conducting more than 80 interviews, the NCAA has concluded its investigation into Auburn University. The NCAA enforcement staff is committed to a fair and thorough investigative process. As such, any allegations of major rules violations must meet a burden of proof, which is a higher standard than rampant public speculation online and in the media. The allegations must be based on credible and persuasive information and includes a good-faith belief that the Committee on Infractions could make a finding. As with any case, should the enforcement staff become aware of additional credible information, it will review the information to determine whether further investigation is warranted.
Yes, we know that Newton’s father, the pastor Cecil “Huggy Bear” Newton Sr. tried to pimp his son out to the highest bidder. The NCAA found back in December of 2010 that Cecil attempted to solicit a large payment, reportedly $180,000, from Mississippi State in exchange for assurances that his son would transfer there from a junior college, bringing his football talents with him.
For this NCAA violation, Newton was ruled ineligible — unbeknownst everybody at the time. He then was reinstated in time for Auburn’s SEC championship game three days later, when the whole bizarre chain of events was disclosed. The NCAA was criticized at the time for not declaring Newton ineligible for the season. But it ruled that there was insufficient evidence that Cam Newton was aware of his father’s actions.
Now, if you wish to debate the logic of that, that’s fine. But what you think you may know is not exactly considered admissible evidence in a court of law. And there certainly never has been a evidence of wrongdoing by Auburn in all of this, despite what buffoons like Danny Sheridan might claim on radio shows.
Jackie Thurns, the NCAA’s associate director of enforcement, sent an email to Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs on Tuesday that outlined its 13-month investigation into the Tigers, not just regarding Newton but allegations of impermissible inducements and extra benefits connected to four other players: Raven Gray, Stanley McGlover, Chaz Ramsey and Troy Reddick. All made allegations on HBO’s “Real Sports” show called, “Dirty Money,” but nothing could be substantiated.
If anybody committed a crime, they did an excellent job wiping away the finger prints.
College football stirs emotions here in the South, and nobody stirred them more last year than Newton during Auburn’s unexpected run to a national championship. But the contention of many that Newton should not have been eligible to win the Heisman Trophy (which he did) and Auburn should not have been allowed to play for the SEC and BCS titles (which it did, and won) were baseless.
Many will vent about this, as they have for months. There will be angry comments from fans and flaming comments from a few major media outlets that quoted double-secret sources of Newton’s guilt and Auburn’s finger prints.
But the NCAA made the right decision here. The last time I checked, we don’t convict in this country on a juicy theory.
By Jeff Schultz
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558 comments Add your comment
jDW
October 12th, 2011
7:20 pm
Makes perfect sense…OJ was innocent too
CollegeFootballFan
October 12th, 2011
7:31 pm
what a joke? the NCAA is in bed with the $EC – too much tv revenue to punish an SEC school. the NCAA clearly has different standards for different schools. UNC basically forfeited last season, fired their assistant and head coaches, sat all players who had a hint of ineligibility and I suspect they’ll get slammed by the ncaa
NCAA finds no major violations at Auburn – Fox News | Sports News Live
October 12th, 2011
7:34 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
tripwire
October 12th, 2011
7:35 pm
Just imagine how much money was involved in the scam to get this national championship for Auburn There was surely a lot of players ,other than the football team, to pull this one off. Money talks and bs still walks and will never change. Brother Cecil will have to answer one day for his evil deeds. I,m just saying!……………………..”Oceans Fifteen”
Old Tech fan in NC
October 12th, 2011
7:35 pm
You Georgia boys will get an eyeful of Cam the Panther soon. Too bad he has poor coaching and a poor surrounding cast.
BG
October 12th, 2011
7:36 pm
Cam and family got 200k to sign with Auburn. End of story! Cash is hard to trace.
oldfart
October 12th, 2011
7:42 pm
Huggy Bear trusts God. All others pay cash.
Common Sense
October 12th, 2011
7:42 pm
The NCAA conducted a one year investigation and interviewed 80 plus people, plus every investigative media person has looked under every rock for the big story and found zero, nadda, nothing. Doesn’t common sense tell you that if there was anything there that it would have surfaced after all that scrutiny. Folks, get over it, Auburn is 100% not guilty, the book is closed and the story is over. Auburn is 2010 NC and Cam still has the Heisman trophy. The End!!
dinkdunk
October 12th, 2011
7:43 pm
War Eagle, go to Hell Bammers.
Nick
October 12th, 2011
7:44 pm
Thats ok, cause the NCAA has no more credibility anyway. Auburn is not the Champs in anyones eyes, but themselves.
Jack
October 12th, 2011
7:46 pm
Lets face it, AU covered up and threw enough money to the right people, and poof, no trouble. At least someone killed their tree though.
Crooks
October 12th, 2011
7:47 pm
somebody should investigate the NCAA and put THEM on probation. Crooks!
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
October 12th, 2011
7:47 pm
No big surprise here and woof woof puppies still cannot let it go. Nick Fairly, Cam led AU Tigers put an ass whoopin on ya’ll and you whined about Murray getting his ass punished by D, but You own AU over the last 5 years, but still no NC since a LONG time ago…& looks like a long time to come. Get over it, we have moved on…
Funny to see ALL the idiot’s that want an asterik, like it’s Barry Bonds and steroid scandal, 80 interviews, YA’LL NO EVIDENCE THEN OR NOW.
WAR DAMN EAGLE, rooting for Cam against the dirty birds…
Common Sense
October 12th, 2011
7:48 pm
Nick and Jack…Is it your bedtime? I know the 3rd grade is exhausting.
Sharkman
October 12th, 2011
7:49 pm
Okay. So MSU offered the “Preacher” $200,000, and he turns it down and plays at Auburn for FREE? Seriously?! Way to go cheaters, you got away with it……for now! HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Does the name Reggie Bush ring a bell anyone?
TrishaDishaWarEagle
October 12th, 2011
7:49 pm
@ Patrick
I wont go that far..I want cam to cream tampa and the saints, but I hope Matty Ice and my falcons crush Carolina twice..Sorry Cam, gotta do it
WAR EAGLE!!
Dawg '94
October 12th, 2011
7:50 pm
Awbarn cheated and EVERYONE knows it. The NCAA does not want any more bad pub. What a joke!
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
October 12th, 2011
7:51 pm
Jack, or loser, you put the ASS in classless, like Updyke…Hope your trees thrive, LOSER!!!
20 Mule Team
October 12th, 2011
7:52 pm
cam’s daddy hid that money good–the ncaa can’t find it. He need to be a private investigator with those skills!
Woodsie Owl
October 12th, 2011
7:52 pm
Are the trees dead yet at Cheaters Corner?
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
October 12th, 2011
7:53 pm
@Trish, after the start of Matty Ice’s season and the expectations with the Julio bank roll of the future, they are hard to watch & root for and I have been a season ticket holder for a long time!!!
WDE, better Saturday ahead against Tiger Meat, gators…
Sneekyweek
October 12th, 2011
7:53 pm
Get real, UGAg fans (and sportswriters who claim to be unbiased).
Cam rode around on a scooter while a student at Auburn. Herschel drove around in a Trans Am while a student at UGA.
Any unbiased journalist would hunt down and find a copy of the Sports Illustrated issue from the 1980s with a cover story entitled “When the cheering stops”. Jan Kemp and “developmental studies” was a drop in the bucket to the “Welcome Wagon” and the envelopes full of money that was slid under UGA football players’ dorm room doors during the 1980 football season.
Of course, ESPN and CSS’ “Talkin’ Football” will keep on paying Mark “I am a UGA grad” Schlabach.
cash link
October 12th, 2011
7:55 pm
you can never trace pure cash—no paper, no receipts, no deposits…. cam got paid big, and scored big. Cash Newton—congrats!!!!
Gene Chizik
October 12th, 2011
7:55 pm
I’m going to the Pink Pony to celebrate!
Common Sense
October 12th, 2011
7:55 pm
I saw you cheerleaders on TV saturday. How ’bout dem dogs. Did AU cheat when they kicked your *** 49-31?? I know you want to blame that embarrassment on something!!
NCAA is a ponzi scheme
October 12th, 2011
7:55 pm
Let’s face it, the NCAA is about as clean as all the teams they are busting, or in this case, letting off the hook.
Georgia Tech gets stripped of their ACC title though for someone getting $300 worth of shirts. I’m sure no one on that Auburn team received anything like that, right?
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
October 12th, 2011
7:56 pm
The NCAA has closed the book on its investigation…period.. No Asteriks.
Gene Chizik
October 12th, 2011
7:56 pm
Hey cash link,
It’s easy to say that without proof.
William Smith
October 12th, 2011
7:58 pm
Cam Newton is one of those rare people that everyone hates unless he is on your team. Would Georgia have minded Cam Newton as there QB. Mark Richt would not be able to father children if he could have pulled that off. He would also be a very lovable guy. If the Panthers can put some talent around him they will become the most hated team in the NFC South.
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
October 12th, 2011
8:01 pm
Jeff Schultz, NCAA right to end investigation into Cam Newton, Auburn. This is the first time I have ever complemented anything in your many years/columns. This is the smartest, most unbiased thing you have EVER put in print.
There, I said it, kudos. Love the picture too, reminds ALL those jealous puppies…love it!
WDE
Cecil newton
October 12th, 2011
8:01 pm
I’m rich B!|€H !!!!!!!
Dawg48
October 12th, 2011
8:02 pm
Auburn is still a joke!
oldfart
October 12th, 2011
8:03 pm
Reggie Bush was dumb enough to leave a paper trail. Call Newton anything you want, but he ain’t dumb.
Trooper Taylor
October 12th, 2011
8:03 pm
Unmarked bills baby, unmarked bills.
Jeff
October 12th, 2011
8:07 pm
They weren’t going to make themselves look worse by finding anything now after they let him play knowing that he should of been inelgible as soon as he was pimped to Msu. Its all about the almighty $$$.
Ace
October 12th, 2011
8:08 pm
Just proves the NCAA can be bought.
oldfart
October 12th, 2011
8:11 pm
All of the college players are supposed to be amateur student athletes just as all of the Catholic girls schools only have virgins. Take the hypocrisy out of the game and pay them over the table, er… the players not the girls.
Worm
October 12th, 2011
8:12 pm
They can end the investigation, but we all know what happened..NCAA is like the OJ prosecution team.
UGA2002
October 12th, 2011
8:15 pm
Auburn, congratulations on a phenomenal year. Without a doubt Cam Newton is probably the greatest tight end to pl… wait, that’s CMR’s idea for cam… without a doubt the greatest QB to play the game.
Now, you will see some angry angry Georgia “bank on it” fans here. Laugh. Because they dug their own hole and they should be burried in it. The less vocal idiots who’ve never attended a class at UGA the better it is for Georgia.
Now that said, watch, our luck will be some fat you know what with a G sticker the width of his Silverados back window probably said if Auburn can do it so can we… ugh. The irony if we paid Crowell. Facepalm.
Seriously, congrats. Enjoy rolling Toomers and gloating here. You deserve it.
Peace.
ncaaI
October 12th, 2011
8:15 pm
the ncaa knows cam and his daddy got paid off big by fatcat auburn boosters. The cash trail was hidden so good, they gave up, when everyone clammed up.
BabsTosltoy
October 12th, 2011
8:20 pm
Dawg 48-Auburn is joke? South Central Florida, Boise State? Desperate dream team #3? The Cocktail Party? You are a moron. If you ever come to Auburn slip by the Athletic Dept. and view the crystal football. It will still be there and it’s as close as you’ll ever get. In fact several road trips in this league provide the same opportunity. Just not Athens bubblehead.
Baller
October 12th, 2011
8:21 pm
THIS KID WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!! Long live Auburn Junior College
Pat dye
October 12th, 2011
8:22 pm
Bobby patrino you have no room to talk Arkansas was the first team to loose to Ohio state
Baller
October 12th, 2011
8:22 pm
Auburn is where you go when Alabama and Georiga don’t want you!
cattle dawg
October 12th, 2011
8:23 pm
And OJ was proven innocent by a jury of his peers.
UGA2002
October 12th, 2011
8:24 pm
Bitter guys? Why so bitter? Talk it out. It’s entertaining.
Delbert D.
October 12th, 2011
8:26 pm
Anyone who says, “Pay the players” should be aware of the ramifications. I am assuming tha everyone has read Taylor Branch’s investigative report on the NCAA. If not, Google and do so immediately. Then, read this: “Athletic Departments Under Attack”, October 11, 2011 by John Infante.
Infante Blogs on the NCAA.org site, and he is Director of Compliance for Colorado St. University.
Dawglasville
October 12th, 2011
8:31 pm
It would have been bad for the conference if they were guilty. As far as the cry baby UGA crap… I use to love our rivalry with Auburn. It was always civilized and well balanced. You guys have been ridiculously obnoxious since last year. OK, so a lot of bloggers (not me) tried to take the wind out of your gloating by always bringing it back to the probation thing… that sucks. But you have been the UGA blog all year long flapping your jaws. Enjoy your teams title. I’m glad that Lowder didn’t tarnish it. We will play each other in a few weeks and hopefully everything can get back to normal.
UGA2002
October 12th, 2011
8:32 pm
Simple question, how come no investigation of Mississippi St and it’s booster(s) who were the root cause here?
Roll Tide
October 12th, 2011
8:33 pm
sCAM nEWTon