NCAA rejects appeal of A.J. Green suspension (updated)
(Last updated 10:15 p.m.)
Georgia will have to play without star wide receiver A.J. Green for two more games, including Saturday’s against Arkansas in Sanford Stadium.
An NCAA committee Friday rejected Georgia’s appeal of the four-game suspension handed Green last week for selling his Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000 to a person the NCAA considers an agent.
Georgia had hoped to have the suspension shortened, but the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, after hearing the appeal by conference call Friday morning, informed UGA officials late in the day that the original penalty will stand.
That means Green, who sat out Georgia’s first two games, will remain sidelined for the crucial game against No. 12 Arkansas and the Sept. 25 game at Mississippi State. He’ll be eligible to return for the Oct. 2 game at Colorado.
While the original suspension was imposed by NCAA staff, the appeal was heard by a committee consisting of officials from colleges and conferences across the country. The committee rejected Georgia’s appeal without public comment. The ruling was disclosed by UGA on Friday evening.
“We respect the committee’s decision and will focus on moving forward,” athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement.
The NCAA’s investigation of Green, a junior who is widely projected as a high NFL draft pick if he turns pro next year, began in July as part of a series of probes at a number of schools into dealings between football players and agents.
The NCAA said last week that “according to the facts of the case submitted by Georgia,” Green sold the jersey to “an individual who meets the NCAA definition of an agent,” later identified as former North Carolina football player Chris Hawkins.
The NCAA defines an agent as “any individual who markets or promotes a student-athlete.” Hawkins has denied being an agent. It also would be against NCAA rules for a student-athlete to sell memorabilia to a non-agent.
Georgia has declined to release the “facts of the case” or other related documents. In response to an open-records request from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, UGA said it would not release the documents because doing so “would directly identify one particular student,” Green. The university said that would violate a federal law protecting student education records, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Green’s four-game suspension has drawn criticism from some Georgia fans because of another recent case in which Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus received a two-game suspension for accepting about $1,800 in benefits from an agent. In that case, the NCAA said Dareus received a two-game ban, rather than four games, “based on mitigating circumstances.”
Another recent case, involving Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher, resulted in the same penalty as Green’s. The NCAA on Thursday suspended Dasher for four games for accepting $1,500 in “an impermissible loan from an individual in the community.”
Asked for comment on Friday’s ruling and the reason the appeal was denied, NCAA associate director of public and media relations Stacey Osburn said by e-mail “we do not have any further to share” beyond confirming the decision.
Georgia coach Mark Richt had held out hope that the appeal might put Green back on the field for Saturday’s game, but Richt said several times this week that the coaches were preparing the game plan on the premise that Green would not be available.
In a statement after Friday’s ruling, Richt said: “Our concentration is the same as the last two weeks, which is preparing for the next game. We’ll look forward to A.J.’s return for the Colorado game on Oct. 2.”
Green, who can continue to practice with the team during the suspension, was not available for comment.
His teammates were hoping for, but not necessarily expecting, good news on the appeal.
“It’s not something you can bank on because you never know,” tight end Aron White said at mid-week. “We’ve been preparing to where if he comes back great but if he doesn’t we’ve got to still go out and get these games. We’re still the Bulldogs, with or without A.J.”
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704 comments Add your comment
collegeballfan
September 17th, 2010
8:40 pm
“a guy from bama only got a 2 game for doing more then green and they are giving green a four game this is not right at all they are messing collage here, they better thing twice, what they did he is wrong Green was up front about everything”
Someone actually wrote this and posted it to the blog. Wow!
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
8:42 pm
collegeballfan….Makes you wonder huh?
5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
8:42 pm
Some of you fans seem too mad like you actually are crazy enough to bet on the games and lost money.
TML
September 17th, 2010
8:44 pm
@Boca…the reason u[sic]ga held him out was because of the Miami agent party issue. His hold out was continued when the NCAA started to dig and uncovered the current issue.
Stop letting red & black color your vision. u[sic]ga is losing institutional control. Richt gets paid a LOT of money to coach your team and control your football program. He HAD to see the current environment (Southern Cal, UNC, etc.). How could he have not???!!! Listen, I don’t like speed traps anymore than any other driver. But if I KNOW BEFOREHAND that the cops are out there – ESPECIALLY in a certain location – I make sure to go the limit AT LEAST until I know they aren’t looking as hard. THIS IS COMMON SENSE. This needs to filter down to the kids you bring into your program.
u[sic]ga is showing itself to be the collegiate athletics equivalent of Hurricane Katrina – you know what’s coming beforehand and yet you do nothing and then want to b!tch & moan when you get bit in the backside afterwards. Stop with your conspiracy theories that the NCAA is somehow ‘out to get you’, stop whining about Florida and their 30+ arrests, clean up YOUR program (i.e., stop winning Fulmer Cups), and tout your school/program and what they have to offer to get the best players.
Look at it from the NCAA’s perspective – their AD is caught drunk with red draws – that don’t belong to his wife – in his lap in his BMW…their players are getting arrested for stupid stuff in the offseason…and their star player thinks he can sell a jersey with no one finding out the back story. This is looking like ‘lack of institutional control’.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2010
8:46 pm
NCAA=Big Brother is Watching (and is worth a lot of money.)
The NCAA finacial statements for 2008 are available for download. I Googled “NCAA Financial Statements.”
KPMG did the audit. Here’s a short breakdown of their “income statement”:
Total Revenues: – $633,453,972
Expenses:
Distrubution to Div. 1 members – $359,349,169
Div. 1, II and III championships and programs – $118,654,394
Association-wide programs – $108,882,664
Management and genral expenses – $26,060,135
Total expenses: $612,946,562
Change in net assets: **$24,814,212** (Would be “net income” if it were a private company)
Net assets-beginning of year: $276,312,342
Net assets-end of year: $301,126,544
Bottom line: The NCAA is an organization worth over $300 million (in 2008)
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
8:46 pm
P.O.A.D. I never bet on what a 18-21 year old will do. By the way if the NCAA license merchandise does that mean the universities have no control on what is sold or is it an agreement by all to ensure copyrights for all?
Dawg Tired
September 17th, 2010
8:46 pm
I told you two weeks ago we should have hired the same attorneys Alabama uses. They have so much more experience with these type of cases.
SonofaDawg
September 17th, 2010
8:47 pm
Richt is a cream puff, and somebody needs to knock the cream out of the puff!
Xenophon
September 17th, 2010
8:47 pm
I’d redshirt the guy and bring him back in 2011. What’s the point of only playing him 8 games?
Please stop with the homer accusations already!!!
September 17th, 2010
8:48 pm
5150…If we are making fun of names, what about Ben Jarvis Green Ellis from Ole Miss? Great name. What about Captain Munnerling from USC? Awesome. My favorite for this year? Mister Alexander from FSU. His. Name. Is. &*$&#^&#. Mister! Unbelievable.
Sugar Hill Dawg
September 17th, 2010
8:48 pm
I’m a UGA grad (1975) and season ticket holder. While I think the NCAA tends to be be inconsistent in its enforcement, I must agree that A.J. Green deserves some sort of suspension. (Four games – I’m not sure why 33% of the schedule, but …) Surely he knew the selling of a game jersey (I assume a souvenir of the Independence Bowl given to all the kids who dressed) was a violation of the NCAA rules. I don’t know A.J., but I assume he’s a good kid who made a serious error in judgment. I think the suspension sends a pretty clear message to everyone in collegiate athletics – stay within the rules or face the wrath of the NCAA enforcement folks.
JELLO JOCKITCH
September 17th, 2010
8:48 pm
Fire McGarrity too, if he is not able to turn around this looming DISASTER sooner than later.
Snoop
September 17th, 2010
8:49 pm
Bravo to the NCAA. Green needs to learn that there are rules, and obviously Richt doesn’t teach that.
Xenophon
September 17th, 2010
8:49 pm
And I think Richt would be a great fit at FSU. They need help more than us.
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
8:50 pm
Xenophon
September 17th, 2010
8:47 pm
I’d redshirt the guy and bring him back in 2011. What’s the point of only playing him 8 games?
Tenn., Florida, Auburn, GT pluse he will not be here next year.
Everybody hates UGA , refs, god, NCAA Too!
September 17th, 2010
8:50 pm
THUGA ! THUGA ! THUGA !
Please stop with the homer accusations already!!!
September 17th, 2010
8:50 pm
JELLO JOCKITCH. Let us pretend for a second that the powers that be $hit can Richt after the game tomorrow. Would you really want an unscrupulous Petrino-type that would dump his current team mid-season to take the job? I wouldn’t. STFU Stupid.
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
8:50 pm
plus that is not pluse
5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
8:51 pm
Yes it keeps the copyrights for all protected. The NFL does the same and that is why the NFL tried to sue Saints fan for using Who Dat when the fans created the saying not the NFL. I can call my Company Bulldog moving or Yellow Jacket Moving (companies in ATL) but I can’t use the GT, Buzz, G or UGA VII logo withou paying a licensing fee to the NCAA.
UGA '83
September 17th, 2010
8:51 pm
Does anyone else ever wonder who all these people are that post on this blog? Hopefully you are all just fans and not actual alumni of The University of Georgia. Otherwise I would hope you could spell better
whatever
September 17th, 2010
8:51 pm
Good for the NCAA – AJ knew the rules and he broke them. IF he DIDN’T know them – then a coach needs to be fired.
Dawg THUGS
September 17th, 2010
8:51 pm
YES – Make the BullThug set out,
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
8:52 pm
Thought so. Thanks P.O.A.D
CLEVON LITTLE
September 17th, 2010
8:52 pm
Screw the NCAA , Zack –I agree. AJ should have known better –that’s not the point; The point is the NCAA has NO business telling someone what they can & can’t do. The NCAA is like a polotician; once they get the power they abuse it. Once these players get their millions they should sue the NCAA & let the Supreme Court decide. Funny how an employer can recruit potential students for a job but a NFL agent can’t. I hope the day will come when a few colleges break away from the NCAA. Could you imagine offering players a chance to play outside the limitations of the NCAA? That would be a MAJOR selling point.
derrick
September 17th, 2010
8:52 pm
Looks like there’s different rules for other schools guess its who they like
Hahahahahahahah
September 17th, 2010
8:53 pm
everybody hates a whining dog. you losers are pitiful.
Please stop with the homer accusations already!!!
September 17th, 2010
8:53 pm
Sugar Hill: “stay within the rules or face the wrath of the NCAA enforcement folks”…unless you go to Alabama and/or roll over on the rest of the good players in the Southeast to save your own hide–right?
WE ARE GEORGIA !
September 17th, 2010
8:55 pm
NO one Nobody tells us what to do ! Not a judge, not Adams, NOT NCAA !!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
8:55 pm
UGA 83 just wait until the Kids/people that like to Text message have to write a real letter. God only knows what that will like.
Beryl
September 17th, 2010
8:55 pm
Everybody hates a whining dog. you losers are pitiful.
Amen to that. Whining, cheating, dawgtards.
dawg days
September 17th, 2010
8:55 pm
The NCAA is an Alabama fan….
outraged
September 17th, 2010
8:56 pm
I say screw the NCAA, if you are Georgia fan going to the game I say boycott from buying college memorbilla tomorrow at the Georgia bookstore(or any place for that matter) just for what the NCAA is doing. I know alot of the sales goes to the university, but a majority goes to the NCAA.
CLEVON LITTLE
September 17th, 2010
8:56 pm
UGA ‘83 , sometimes the spelling is bad –agreed. But come on…We don’t need the Spell Police governing the bloggs…. Just wondering….Did they give you a badge??
Alloy
September 17th, 2010
8:58 pm
“THUGA ! THUGA ! THUGA !”
Ah, the lilting beat of the drums. Music to my ears!
CLEVON LITTLE
September 17th, 2010
8:58 pm
Beryl , Glad to see your Mom let you stay up this late. Tell me, Is the Tech blog that boring??
Mr. Dawg
September 17th, 2010
8:58 pm
The NCAA is so full of crap
Jay
September 17th, 2010
8:59 pm
4 games seems too harsh for such a violation, it doesn’t seem warranted. At least we will have him back soon, but not before we play 2 key conference games. We need him on the field so the team can jell in preparation for the latter part of the schedule. With that said, I hope the D and O-line are much improved tomorrow and pull out a win. We can’t afford to drop any more games this early in the season.
DawginNYC
September 17th, 2010
8:59 pm
Here is the number to the ncaa 317/917-6222
5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
8:59 pm
People do you remember the OLD days when player had jobs and were paid like $1000 to Maintain the grass on the College fields? The Sprinklers idid the work the paid player just had to be there to make sure the sprinklers came on. The NCAA has rules because of past abuse by teams like Bama and USC(the real one) and Notre Dame.
CLEVON LITTLE
September 17th, 2010
9:00 pm
Alloy , guess it is. Now, get your jammies on & turn the light out –morning will be here before you know it.
CokeHog
September 17th, 2010
9:01 pm
“And Petrino’s spirit, raging for revenge,
With Mallett by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a coach’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the hogs of war
That this great deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.”
-Bobby Shakespeare
North GA Retiree
September 17th, 2010
9:02 pm
A lot of these responses are sad. Everyone is missing the main issue. The rule that he broke is in place. He knowingly broke that rule. Why should he not take the punishment? He needs to take responsibility for his actions. So stop whining.
the bitter truth
September 17th, 2010
9:02 pm
Oh the arrogance, the heavy handedness, the holier than thou attitude, the defiant, we don’t care what you think in your face we are who we are mentality…and that’s just the GA Bullthug fans……makes the ncaa look like a tea party. and i think tech stinks too!!!
Billy Jack.....@ 5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
9:02 pm
you yearn for the $100 handshakes…..me too
CLEVON LITTLE
September 17th, 2010
9:03 pm
DawginNYC , I hope you aren’t kidding…Do you have an email address?
DawgNation
September 17th, 2010
9:03 pm
P.O.A.D. Yea I remember that. It was a way that boosters were able to funnel money to them. Massive abuses which is why the rules are so strict now.
First team SEC
September 17th, 2010
9:03 pm
Is AJ eligable for All SEC? Who will be with Jolio? Alshon? Bummer.
JELLO JOCKITCH
September 17th, 2010
9:04 pm
To please stop: I may be extremely delusional but if Petrino can win a BCSNC in his first year at UGA why not, SABAN from LSU did it and look at where BAMA is now. Remember his name before this BAMA run — OSABAN bin lying.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 17th, 2010
9:04 pm
Billy today that would have to be a Check for a Grand, $100 will not buy a good pair of Nike.
TML
September 17th, 2010
9:05 pm
@5150 P.O.A.D – you are wrong. Most major schools (with the exceptions of Southern Cal, Ohio State, and a FEW others) own their OWN copyrights to their logos, uniforms, mascots, – even their colors (! – court cases in Louisiana ruled so in regards to some t-shirts that used LSU’s colors but not the actual name “LSU”) and license them to the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC – headquartered here in Atlanta). The NCAA only makes regulations regarding depicting student-athletes while they have eligibility. Coaches – especially coaches of big time universities – generally have their OWN marketing arrangements for their names, images, etc.
How do I know this? A year’s worth of research when we started our t-shirt company. SCHOOLS/UNIVERSITIES control their copyrights, trademarks, and images, NOT the NCAA – just talk to God-talented artist Daniel Moore and his noble fight against the U. of Alabama about that – and license them to the CLC. NCAA regulations apply only to schools who are dutiful and voluntary members of it. u[sic]ga is definitely one of those. Boycotting the NCAA does nothing. They control player/coach regulations, bowl games, etc. only because their membership AGREES to those regulations. When u[sic]ga violates those, they are violating NCAA regulations that they AGREED TO FOLLOW IN THE FIRST PLACE. For you yahoos that want to leave the NCAA, u[sic]ga is more than welcome to leave and join the NAIA or whatever…good luck keeping SEC membership and all the other financial perks that come with that and NCAA membership.
http://www.stinGTees.com