NCAA will make ‘inquiry’ at Georgia (UPDATED)
(Last updated 1:05 a.m. Thursday)
HOOVER, Ala. –- The NCAA, in the midst of a crackdown on improper dealings between college football players and agents, informed the University of Georgia late Wednesday afternoon that it will send investigators to campus to conduct an “inquiry.”
The probe is believed to be the latest in a recent string of NCAA investigations looking into possible improper benefits received by college football players from agents.
Investigations are known to be underway at North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama.
Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton confirmed Wednesday’s call from the NCAA and said UGA Athletic Association officials responded by pledging full cooperation.
Felton said the NCAA requested that UGA officials, coaches and student-athletes refrain from further comment on the matter “until the inquiry is completed.” Georgia interim athletic director Frank Crumley declined to comment when reached by the AJC.
The NCAA’s call to Georgia officials in Athens came as the SEC was wrapping up the first session of its annual media days event in Hoover, Ala., where the hot topic was the widespread recent allegations of improper agent activity.
“It’s epidemic right now,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “I think it’s always been there, from what I understand. . . . But I think we’ve reached a point where the size of college football, the magnitude of college football right now, [it] is really overwhelming.”
The NCAA is investigating whether Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus broke NCAA rules by attending a sports agent’s party on Miami’s South Beach during Memorial Day weekend, and NCAA investigators also have interviewed North Carolina players, including defensive tackle Marvin Austin, and South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders about the same party.
In addition, the NCAA is looking into an allegation that former Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey accepted $100,000 from an agent’s representative between last season’s SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl –- an allegation that Pouncey has strongly denied and called “absolutely ridiculous.”
Georgia’s highest-profile pro prospect, junior wide receiver A.J. Green, told SI.com on Tuesday, the day before the NCAA’s call to UGA, that he was not at the South Beach party that triggered investigations at three schools. Green said he spent Memorial Day weekend at home in Summerville, S.C., and that he was asked about the party by a Georgia compliance official on Tuesday.
“I never went to South Beach,” Green said.
Former Georgia wide receiver Michael Moore, Green’s teammate the past two seasons, said Wednesday night on Twitter: “Hahaha. This talk about A.J. is hilarious. That country boy ain’t never been to Miami!!! You can put those rumors to rest.”
It is not clear whether the NCAA informed Georgia which player or players it plans to interview.
NCAA rules prohibit college players from signing contracts with, or accepting benefits from, agents. If a player is found to have done so, he could face loss of college eligibility. If the NCAA finds that the school knew, or should have known, about the matter, the institution also could be penalized.
“At the conclusion of the process, when the facts are known, appropriate determinations will be made as to the amateurism status of the student-athlete and whether the institution was aware or should have been aware of the improper conduct based on existing NCAA rules,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday, speaking in generalities and not about any specific case.
Slive added: “Given the surreptitious nature of these matters, it is difficult, if not impossible, for institutions to know what might have taken place. . . . My point is, this isn’t done on Main Street at noon with a compliance officer sitting there. Our schools work very hard. We’ve talked about this issue over and over. We’ve brought experts in. Our schools do everything they can to educate student-athletes about what they should and shouldn’t do.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt and three players -– Green, punter Drew Butler and fullback Shaun Chapas -– are scheduled to arrive at media days Thursday morning for appearances before almost 1,000 media members here.
The NCAA’s recent focus on agent activity, dubbed AgentGate by some, was much-discussed during the opening session of the SEC’s annual three-day media event Wednesday.
Alabama coach Nick Saban was most outspoken on the topic, exuding anger from the podium at the Wynfrey Hotel.
Although not excluding players from responsibility, Saban said agents are “entrapping and taking advantage of young people at a difficult time in their life” and should be banned from the agent business for a year if they endanger college players’ eligibility with improper inducements.
“I don’t think it’s anything but greed that is creating it right now on behalf of the agents,” Saban said. “Agents that do this, I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp? I have no respect for people who do that to young people -– none. I mean, none. How would you feel if they did it to your child?”
Slive called for a national re-examination of the agent issue, saying: “This is a national problem that calls for a national agent strategy for college athletics.” He said an NCAA committee should take an outside-the-box look at the issue.
“Dealing with improper agent conduct has been a challenge for a long time,” Slive said. “Not only for intercollegiate athletics, but also for the many good agents who try to follow the rules. It is time to reexamine the NCAA rules that relate to agents.”
After the story broke late Wednesday of the NCAA’s inquiry at Georgia, former Bulldogs linebacker Rennie Curran, who gave up his final season of college eligibility to enter this year’s NFL draft, addressed the matter on his Twitter account.
“Can’t believe how hard the ncaa is trying to crack down on college athletes,” Curran tweeted. “How can [you] expect someone not to look to outside sources…”
Continuing on his next tweet, Curran wrote: “… when there are video games being made of you, your jerseys getting sold, your family is struggling [and] you don’t even get a dime except pell [grant].”
Please follow @ajcuga on Twitter for updates.
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365 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
July 22nd, 2010
9:19 am
Gator daddy,
Another idiotic comment from a gator.
The diplomas from UGA are just fine. One of the top schools in the country. Everything in the world doesn’t revolve around Gainesville(muleville).
Dawg Gone It
July 22nd, 2010
9:23 am
thUg’s male mascot cannot naturally fertilize an egg – useless dawg indeed – a perfect mascot.
Compare average earnings at graduation, 10, 20 years out. There is no doubt GT whips thUGs more as time passes.
He who has all his toys at the end of the Great Recession wins. We win you thUGs sell your toys as your construction job is gone and is not coming back.
Enjoy that unemployment ck.
Since thUGs run this state it makes since GA is near last in education down there with Mississippi and Alabama. Great job thUGs.
You run most intelligence out of the state you “run”.
Morans!
So glad I am not a thUG. Your diploma becomes worth less everyday. Now go wipe butts for a living.
Enjoy sanford and sons stadium – can hold many drunks so the campus can be completely trashed like your single wide.
THWG!
Wolfman
July 22nd, 2010
9:26 am
Sounds like Curran thinks its o.k. to take payolla… Maybe the NCAA should start with him. Hope the DAWGS don’t have to write off the glorious win in Shreveport.
Pago Pago Dawg
July 22nd, 2010
9:26 am
So this Twitter thing…is it like e mail only very public?
GaTruth
July 22nd, 2010
9:28 am
Dawg Gone It you don’t know bee-squat. I am an exec recruiter. I talk to people every day that went to colleges you’ve never heard of and they make five times what either of us make – and I am an evil rich person according to Obama. The whole GT vs UGA academic arguement is pointless. UGA is filled with education, journalism, and literature majors because it has to serve those needs as a state school. GT is filled with EEs, MEs, CEs, and assorted other egg heads. Let’s compare GT earnings only to UGA business grads – more relevant. Better yet, let’s compare GT to MIT – oh crap! GT is a distant also-ran in that race. BTW, this is a football blog.
GaTruth
July 22nd, 2010
9:28 am
SC, FL, Bama and now UGA under investigation? Is Phil Fulmer back in town?
layinlow
July 22nd, 2010
9:29 am
This is a freakin NCCA problem and the players and schools shouldn’t be punished to harshly for this in my opinion. Predatory agents could be stopped in their tracks if the NCAA had any guts to do something. It’s a simple solution if you ask me. The NCAA and the NFL work together on this problem. The solution? If an agent is caught giving improper benefits to an NCAA athlete then he would be banned for life from representing players. The NFL has control over agents getting a license to be a player rep. Why can’t the NCAA put pressure on the NFL to punish agents? Hell, Roger Goddell sure loves punishing players!
The Truth
July 22nd, 2010
9:29 am
Rennie Curran? Wasn’t he the little “speed bump” on LSU’s Charles Scott’s game winning jaunt?
How2fish
July 22nd, 2010
9:31 am
Dawg Gone It please exactly what is a” Morans ” hint..take a look in a mirror..LMAO!!
Dwayne
July 22nd, 2010
9:31 am
Saban saying agents take advantage of the players? What? How much is he making off them? How much is the NCAA making off them?? What a joke. Curren is right, so is any other player being exploited by big business, and yes, this is a business.
Gratefuldawghead
July 22nd, 2010
9:33 am
I am standing behind my man AJ Green , who again today says he has never been to Miami. I could care less what the Techies think.
GO DAWGS!
Tosh.No
July 22nd, 2010
9:33 am
Wow, is there any UGA fans on this “blog”, or just loser trash with nothing to do? Oh wait, its the AJC, so I already know that answer.
Tosh.No
July 22nd, 2010
9:35 am
And yeah, bet there weren’t any tech guys there anyway, they usually don’t have World of Warcraft at parties, so it would be a waste of their time.
Can You Dig It
July 22nd, 2010
9:38 am
You Tech fans really do have inferiority complexes when it comes to Georgia…..all you have to do is read your blogs and the stupidity shows through.
TUCK FECH
July 22nd, 2010
9:38 am
I saw all the Tech players in Miami…getting beat down by IOWA!
UWGWolves
July 22nd, 2010
9:38 am
All kinds of idiotic posts. UGA is rated the second best Public University in the SEC behind Florida and is one of the top public universities in the Country. I did not go to UGA but attended another state school but am tired of everyone knocking the Georgia Flagship school. As a Bulldog fan I did not poke fun of Alabama, Florida, etc for this Agent Gate because I feared this may be more widespread and more big schools would be hit. When everything is over there will probably be wide spread Suspensions through the Colleges in the Southeast. At this point in Big Time College football there are a lot of glass houses around so I would be careful before I started throwing stones. These athletes generally stay connected and are coming from the same system that creates this mess.
LOL
July 22nd, 2010
9:44 am
With as much gloating as our fans were doing yesterday, you just had to know this would come back to bite us.
Hope there is nothing to this, but something tells me there is.
Gatorzone
July 22nd, 2010
9:45 am
Lets all hope this does not turn into another SW conference. These agents are predators that need to be sanctioned by the NFL!
Deepdiver
July 22nd, 2010
9:46 am
People are focusing their anger on the wrong person. They need to take their anger off agents and send it at the NCAA for being a joke and pimping players. Players are the ones who really bring in the money for college football. The NCAA tries to push forward the laughable joke that they only care about the student athletes when they extend the season by adding an extra game and allowing them to have conference championship games to make extra money for schools and conferences. The NCAA is the frickin joke. College athletes need to start their own conference for pay and stop the joke of the NCAA in its tracks.
Gatorzone
July 22nd, 2010
9:47 am
LOL, I have been there with you. Run my mouth and have it bite me big time. No school with a powerful program is beyond reproach (sp?)
Three that went ot the NFl, now hhmmmmm
July 22nd, 2010
9:51 am
Any school that had or has high profile athletes with NFL or NBA futures will be scrutinized and that does include the three techies that signed NFL contracts, recently. Yes, it does and you know it.
No one is immune …………… so before all of the UGA detractors start up …………..remember, your three did not earn diplomas and they did sign deals. Be careful ………..be very careful.
Go Dogs
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
9:52 am
I have to say that most of these tech people on here are so clueless. Several say that they “Own UGA”… That’s so comical. That would be as stupid as UGA people saying for the past 20 years we own UF.
For most techies your football ignorance and UGA envy stands out amoung all posters on any UGA blog.
I expect the UF and yes even UT’s (winners of last 3out of 4) to rub it in a bit, but TECH!! please. Go back under that rock you crawled out from little brother. Agian, thanks for the laughs!
tar and feathers party
July 22nd, 2010
9:52 am
Didn’t the ncaa tell ugay that if they git caught cheating just one more time, it is the COLLEGE FOOTBALL DEATH PENALTY? Here is hoping for a lynching of UGAY! Anyone with information about LYING, CHEATING, AND STEALING AT UGAY should step forward now and tell the ncaa everything!
TardDawg
July 22nd, 2010
9:52 am
Why would the NCAA bother investigating such a mediocre team?
Weird...
July 22nd, 2010
9:53 am
The commentary on here always turns to Tech v UGA education and moneymaking. It’s like apples and oranges people. Each school focuses their majors on different things. Each school has plenty of highly educated alums who make plenty of money. Quit wasting everyone’s time with stupid posts and have an intelligent conversation about the topic of the blog!
Jason
July 22nd, 2010
9:56 am
Fred the shoe is on the other foot…….The only thing on this web site concerns georgia, they don’t report anything else. Fact is, UA(Saban) immediately suspended Dareus as soon as he found out he was there. As I hear it, they then filed an appeal with the NCAA so that they can sort out whether any violations were broken. CYOA, yes, but it seems they did the proper thing and didn’t lie to the media about whether they had been contacted.
TardDawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:06 am
It’s one thing to investigate a football school like South Carolina, but why investigate an irrelevant women’s gymnastic school like UGA.
Schmeckdawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:07 am
Do you know what you call a good looking girl on the tech campus? A VISITOR.
What is the difference between a tech coed and the garbage? The garbage can get picked up!
What is the difference between a tech coed and a toilet? You flush a toilet after you use it.
All of you dirt daubers go back to your own site. You suck now and always will.
Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Richt on NCAA probe: ‘We’ll see what they gather’ | UGA sports blog
July 22nd, 2010
10:09 am
[...] delegation arrived here this morning for SEC Media Days and immediately faced questions about Wednesday’s news that the NCAA will send investigators to campus for an [...]
bitter scum bag agent
July 22nd, 2010
10:11 am
sh—t whats the problem heaa, playa this plya that, who cares i own these hera states!!! i do as i please, so tell coach satan to kisss this heaa , im on aulburn campus now shack up with the best they got doing shots, suckaols
Tech Nerd
July 22nd, 2010
10:12 am
Rest easy yellow jacket village. By my calculations, there is only a 1 in 50,000,000,000,000 chance that the NCAA will make “inquiry” here at Tech. It is my understanding that they only look for violations at big-time football programs with a history of winning. WE ARE SAFE!
Santa Cruz CA Dawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:13 am
It is tough for these kids. Many of these student Athletes are from humble backgrounds. And they attend school with many kids, from wealthy means. They can get caught up in wanting to be able to go out have fun and and also buy some nice things. Like their college peers can do. I am not making excuses, but my college life was like a lot of these athletes, from humble means, so I can relate.
That being said, they still should be held accountable if they break rules, and so should the agents.
If Green has lied about this topic. He should be punished, but the NCAA hypocrites should change some rules and help these young athletes who are making millions for their schools, even more.
Damon
July 22nd, 2010
10:19 am
Southwest Conference – Chapter 2
1. Arkansas and LSU fill the vacancies in the Big 12
2. Vanderbilt and Kentucky to the ACC
3. Ole Miss, Miss St., Auburn and Tennessee to the Big East
4. Georgia, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina – see ‘ya
I never said I would not tell.
bitter scum bag agent
July 22nd, 2010
10:20 am
people in glass house have a uh well dont throw stones if you have not uh a well!!! ps playa need 5000 quick cash, meet jasmen my ho, hahahah
Dawg H8R
July 22nd, 2010
10:27 am
Folks, pay no attention to the alien spacecraft to your left.
No reason to assume this is worth rubbernecking.
Jawja,I tried to tell you yesterday.My first post didn’t
make it.I told you it was more to come.Keep your
rose colored glasses on if you want.
How can Jawja have as many different personalities
as they do,and not have guys get into trouble.Why can’t
you guys see things for what they are. How can you guys
have as many dreadlocked guys since M Richt,and not have
guys fail drug tests? Not have questionable pasts or ties?
Someone in his recruiting classes(several actually)are guys that
don’t need to be on campus. Real talk.
Before THE DEFENDERS OF DAWG NATION try to take offense
to my comments,take note that I’m a BLACK MAN. That fact is
only important because I’m an expert on what’s behind certain
hairstyles and attire.Not Richt,not Tony Barnhart,not Larry Munson.
Don’t question my abilities to “call a spade a spade” when I
recognize what’s going on.
Florida,since Urban (what kind of damn name is that) got there, has
had a disturbing blend of sperry topsider wearing guys and dreadlocked,
gold front(teeth) sporting guys. Carlos Spikes ring a bell.Not the only example
but hopefully you get the point.
Circuitously speaking,all fans need to pay attention to our guys. Backgrounds
and pasts aside,all things should be equal on a college campus. Don’t make
exceptions for the purpose of winning football games.
junkyarddawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:28 am
It continues to amaze me how many gaters, vols, and bees spend time commenting on GA blogs. Mind your own d@mn biz!
Dawg H8R
July 22nd, 2010
10:39 am
Gatorzone, the SWC situation,if I recall correctly was Texas
exposing SMU.SMU went on the death penalty,which was
WRONG. Jealousy made someone drop dime on the near
dominant Mustangs. UGA/FLA/ALA/FSU/ND have all escaped
real punishment, should’ve been on a death penalty as well.
Agents-R-Scum
July 22nd, 2010
10:39 am
All sports agents should have to wear tracking devices like sexual predators. Head coaches could check their whereabouts on their computer.
Unfortunately, these scumbags have accomplices and delivery people that make it hard to catch them in the act.
EagleNationRising
July 22nd, 2010
10:39 am
Who cares if the NCAA makes an inquiry? The NCAA makes inquiries all of the time. Why have these inquiries received special attention? The real story will come when there is a formal investigation. By the way, for the clowns on this thread who believe that agents involvement rests only with football and men’s basketball, stop fooling yourselves. Any athlete who stands to make signficant money as a professional is approached by agents. Baseball agents are the most aggressive out there. If you can drive the heck out of a race car, agents are going to approach them. Go to a top junior college game. Those guys that do not look like parents or groupies are probably agents. Who do you think guided top MLB draft Bryce Harper pick and his family to leave high school at age 16? It was not his high school coach, folks. Who do you think is behind teenage tennis players? They are the same agents that are hiding in bushes on SEC campuses. It is a part of sports. Who is dumb enough to believe that it does not and has not happened in sports for years. The NCAA is finally catching on. Big deal!
WreckTech
July 22nd, 2010
10:43 am
Why does racism always come up on these blogs? I think we can all agree that it’s ridiculous and has no place here. If you don’t want to talk about football, simply go away!
What are all of these Tech fans smoking? “We own UGA” – Seriously? Has Tech beaten UGA more than once in like ten years? Wasn’t that win by 3 points? Isn’t UGA’s record against Tech like 60 – 39? I think you nerds need to go back to your own blog where you can talk about pocket protectors, your new calculator, and how you can’t get a date. I think all of this talk about red panties has gotten you way too excited. I’m sure that you can find some to look at online since you haven’t seen any real ones (besides your moms).
You nerds have fun talking about the problems that UGA is currently having. Anything to bring the focus away from your pathetic little high school football team, right?
EagleNationRising
July 22nd, 2010
10:45 am
Why are agents scum? Because they do not adhere to NCAA rules? Have you guys ever seen an NCAA rule book. It is larger than the Holy Bible. Universities make billions (with a B!) on the backs of unpaid athletes. Coaches make seven figure salaries. ADs, even the ones with patties between their legs while drunk driving, make six figure salaries. Stadiums & arenas are build. Sports like volleyball, baseball, track & field, golf, swimming, are funded on their backs. Now, agents are not supposed to reach out to them. I graduated from Virginia Law School in 2001. There were “representatives” from law firms across the globe just “hanging around” in an attempt to “talk.” How is this different? The same is the case at medical schools and top business schools. Agents have to abide by Federal and state laws, which will NEVER and should NEVER mirror the insanity of the NCAA. I guess you guys believe that only the NCAA has the right to manipulate athletes. Give me a break!
Gatorzone
July 22nd, 2010
10:56 am
junkyarddawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:28 am
It continues to amaze me how many gaters, vols, and bees spend time commenting on GA blogs. Mind your own d@mn biz!
G-A-T-O-R-S….
Also, it is an AJC Blog, not just UGA.
billdawg
July 22nd, 2010
11:28 am
GTFansince1990 needs to look at the entrance sign at the Institute to see who owns whom.
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 22nd, 2010
11:49 am
Speaking of “since 1990…..
17 out of 20
7 out of 9
((((((((((((((((((((((41-17))))))))))))))))))
KPH
July 22nd, 2010
11:54 am
Wouldnt be surprised if Damon Evans is behind this considering the timing.
Dawg H8R
July 22nd, 2010
11:58 am
eagle nation rising is right on.
Dawg H8R
July 22nd, 2010
12:08 pm
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 22nd, 2010
11:49 am
Speaking of “since 1990…..
17 out of 20
7 out of 9
((((((((((((((((((((((41-17))))))))))))))))))
All those numbers must mean you’re not a recent Jawja dawg.
Bill
July 22nd, 2010
12:28 pm
Rookie salary cap and this all goes away. The guaranteed money is way too high to not create incentive for agents to break rules.
How2fish
July 22nd, 2010
12:35 pm
Bill good point hadn’t really thought that one thru.
billdawg
July 22nd, 2010
1:02 pm
GTFansince1990 needs to check the entrance to the Institute if he can find his way. Then he will know who owns whom!