UGA reports violation in Crowell recruitment, bars Richt from calling recruits next month
Georgia broke an NCAA rule in the recruitment of prized tailback Isaiah Crowell and will respond by barring coach Mark Richt from phoning recruits next month, according to a letter from UGA athletic director Greg McGarity to the NCAA.
An attempt by Richt in January to demonstrate the Bulldogs’ need for Crowell by having him stand in as the missing tailback in an offensive formation with current players resulted in a secondary violation of the rule against “game day simulation” with recruits, McGarity wrote.
Crowell signed with Georgia last month, and the school’s self-reported violation had the temporary effect of making him ineligible. But the NCAA staff, acting on a request in McGarity’s March 4 letter, already has reinstated Crowell’s eligibility, according to an e-mail from the NCAA to UGA on Friday.
McGarity told the NCAA that Richt did not believe the January scenario constituted a “game day simulation.” However, McGarity wrote that “as a result of the violation,” Richt will receive a letter of admonishment and will be prohibited from telephoning recruits and their parents during the NCAA’s “spring evaluation period” in April.
The NCAA could accept those penalties or could impose additional ones. In most cases, if the NCAA agrees the violation is secondary, meaning inadvertent and resulting in no significant advantage, self-imposed penalties are accepted.
McGarity said Monday that he “will have no comment other than what’s in the letter,” a copy of which was obtained under the state’s Open Records Act. Richt was not available for comment, spokesman Claude Felton said. Crowell did not return messages.
McGarity described the incident in detail in his 1 ½-page letter:
“[Crowell] was on campus for his official visit January 21-23, 2011. . . . [Richt] and the football staff arranged for the offensive linemen, wide receivers, fullback and quarterback to gather . . . in the indoor practice facility that [Richt's] office overlooks. The [players] . . . were dressed in their game-day uniform tops.
“Coach Richt, [Crowell] and [Crowell's] family left his office to join the group. By the time [Crowell] made his way to the field, the team was in an offensive alignment without a running back. [Crowell] was subsequently handed a jersey and stood in the vacant running back position . . . After [Crowell] stood in the position, the student-athletes broke from the alignment and talked to him. The activity lasted less than five minutes.”
Richt’s idea “was to create a feeling for [Crowell] that he was needed,” McGarity wrote, adding that Richt didn’t think having a recruit stand in a formation without running a play constituted a violation. However, Richt “did not check with the compliance office beforehand.”
The SEC subsequently informed Georgia that the NCAA rule against game-day simulation is “all-encompassing and includes the activity [Crowell] participated in,” McGarity wrote. Also, it is against the rule for a recruit to try on or wear a game-day jersey outside of the locker room.
Georgia “does not believe a recruiting advantage was gained as [Crowell's] mother has stated that her son knew he was going to attend UGA since he was a young child,” according to McGarity’s letter.
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755 comments Add your comment
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
4:21 pm
First it was Drew now Crowell. Are our people continually STUCK on STUPID?
I get it! Richt is fighting for his coaching life, but this is getting less than funny.
I know schools have to treat these kids; yes KIDS, like they have done enough in their young lives to matter, but they have done nothing to make GROWN MEN crawl all over themselves to cheat for a KID’S signature on a LOI or GIA.
Just who is in charge/control of this situation? The High school kid or the grown men representing an Institution of Higher Learning?
Dog meet Tail! I will be wagging you for the next several months until I chose with Dog I wish to be attached to for the next few years. Please get used to this situation because you Old Grown Men act like a Virgin at a Cat House. You will give anything for just a SHOT of the next best thing you see.
UGASlobberknocker
March 14th, 2011
4:21 pm
Billy we are 1000 times better off w/McGarrity than we were with Evans. Not knowing every stupid ass rule is like not memorizing the legal code..you hope that logic and law coincide thus preventing the need to know every one of thousands of rules..but this is the NCAA..there is no logic.
ratherBgambling
March 14th, 2011
4:22 pm
Another day another UGA recruiting violation.
Didn’t they ask Crowell the name of his dog on live TV and his response was. “Dah, Dah…..I don’t know?”
Keep it classy mutts!
Buck Blew
March 14th, 2011
4:23 pm
no big deal. tressel has committed over 375 secondary violations. richt has a long way to go to catch him. with that said, at least tressel has a national title to show for his cheating. can’t say the same for richt.
Alphare
March 14th, 2011
4:23 pm
DawginLex, how do you know it’s upfront? They can do monthly or quarterly to save some interest money. I believe UGA does it twice a year to Crowell’s friend but I am not sure. Do you know? lol.
cj
March 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
I’m starting to wonder now how smart KMR really is; have you lost it coach?
UGA Insider
March 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
Does anyone know who is in The Fulmer Cup lead at this point in the off-season? I hear it’s Auburn and their 5 felonies since their MNC Game? That’s pretty tough to beat.
schmeckdawg
March 14th, 2011
4:24 pm
@UGASlobberknocker, Oh I’m sure these idiots have many more dumbass rules than this one.
BadDawgBad
March 14th, 2011
4:25 pm
Everyone that keeps up with recruiting knows this is a violation but it is secondary and so why WHO CARES right, Richt??? Can’t play dumb on this one since EVERYONE knows it is a break of the rules. How does this fit religiously? God stated that his law is supreme and mans laws are secondary. Thus both are sinful but his are moreso. How can you be the role model when even you don’t follow the rules? Shoot, guys go out and do whatever…the coach apparently violates even the most obvious of rules.
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:26 pm
Insider,
We had to cut our roster before enrollment day, what’s your excuse?
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:26 pm
ratherBgambling
even money says that you are a numb nuts.
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
4:27 pm
insider
http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/
scroll down to the 2nd article
Auburn in a landslide
ratherBgambling
March 14th, 2011
4:28 pm
Insider,
Auburn leads in 2011 but UGA took the Cup in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:29 pm
UGA won it in 2007, too.
Win it this year and it will be The Richt Cup.
bullochdog
March 14th, 2011
4:30 pm
Billy, don’t blame the AD! Mark Richt has been there 10+ years.
Halldawg
March 14th, 2011
4:31 pm
Enter your comments here
Rooster
March 14th, 2011
4:31 pm
How much is Richt paid per year?
Alphare
March 14th, 2011
4:31 pm
BTW, did Crowell’s friend ever get an offer from another major college? I believe UGA is the only one recognized his special talent of Cecil caliber.
Paul N Destin
March 14th, 2011
4:32 pm
Crowell’s parents wanted him with Nick at the the U of A. They knew the story on St Mark.
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:33 pm
Paul,
But the “money was just too good”.
Bamma Ramma
March 14th, 2011
4:33 pm
UGA / Richt is still breaking rules left and right to get their prize recruits. Richt needs to learn the rules and play by the rules that everyone else has to follow. He’ll get a slap on the wrist as usual.
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:33 pm
Bodda Getta
I guess Cheatzik has to figure in the players lost due to incarceration when figuring available scholarships. So, I guess oversigning can be justified because of a team’s high crime rate.
schmeckdawg
March 14th, 2011
4:35 pm
@ Rooster, I believe CMR make just a little South of 3 mill per year!
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:35 pm
WIN,
We kick our troublemakers to the curb.
Richt, on the other hand…
Buckeye
March 14th, 2011
4:35 pm
Too Easy,
Too easy.
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:36 pm
Alphare
I remember that UGA was the only major school that offered Chris Davis and he ended up starting over 40 games. Also. Zander played pretty well last year as a true freshman. Cootie could turn out to be a great player.
Buckeye
March 14th, 2011
4:36 pm
Too Easy,
Too words: Bite me.
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
4:37 pm
bodda, when you do what your boys did, they don’t get to stand at the curb anymore unless there is one inside a jail cell.
ViningsMike
March 14th, 2011
4:38 pm
How petty! The NCAA has become a joke. Is there another league or association that all of the colleges and universities can join?
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:40 pm
Bodda
Cheatzik had no choice. They were armed robbers caught red handed in the geteawy car with the guns. Lowder will probably try to pull strings and get it reduced to speeding so the players can be reinstated.
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:41 pm
Either way, those guys don’t stay on our roster and continue to drag the team down.
We not in this to save souls.
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:44 pm
Bodda
I know you are not in it save souls. But, have the integrity to not sell your soul for a title like Awbarn did.
Fire Mark Richt
March 14th, 2011
4:44 pm
I still say fire Mark Richt. You r-tards have forgotten how bad we are.
GrangerDawg
March 14th, 2011
4:45 pm
Any reason this took so long to make the AJC? This was reported four or five days ago on ESPN. This is not big news to the rest of the sports world. Secondary violations are a concern if they are repeated or show a pattern of circumventing the rules. This is not one of those situations.
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:45 pm
You enjoy your integrity championships.
We’ll enjoy our football championships.
AltamahaDawg
March 14th, 2011
4:45 pm
Wouldn’t over exaggerate the situation would you Stewardess? Have any idea how common secondary violation as at every school? Who exactly would you suggest that we put into a position of authority that would never allow the completely vague rules of the NCAA to ever be breached.
The fact that UGA diagnosed and self reported these proves the exact opposite of your “out of control” drama. It was widely publicized what happened that day with Crowell. Nothing to hide. As was it with the Drew PC (which BTW was not even remotely the same kind of issue, and you are the only one I have read hat would think they are somehow linked in some pattern of stupidity. Suggesting that is stuck on stupid, if you ask me.)
I am FAR MORE CONCERNED about ......
March 14th, 2011
4:45 pm
Stuff happens. Oh well …………
I am far more concerned about the Auburn thugs who apparently planned ( pre meditation ) and attempted to enter and succeeded in ROBBING A HOME !!! THIS IS serious.
To AU’s credit they DUMPED those kids out of school. Now that matter IS serious.
UGA kids have driven drunk ( awful for sure) and stolen a cycle helmet and presented out of date driver’s licenses and walked around drunk in downtown Athens, slapped a gal and pinched a gal’s tush in Valdosta. BOYs will be boys beyond the girl slapping and drink driving.
Robbing homes? NOW THAT is serious. Drugs like at GT? ODs like at GT? Serious it is.
Threatening a gal with losing her life like at Florida?? Now THAT is serious. Slapping a gal like Robert Hall did at GT? Serious that is. Rape like GT’s # 37 did?? Serious.
UGa in formation to impress a kid? Good stuff.
Jeff in Calhoun
March 14th, 2011
4:45 pm
If this is considered a violation then Ohio State must be sweating bricks right now!
GrangerDawg
March 14th, 2011
4:47 pm
@Bamma Ramma – Go check your own school’s secondary violations before you get all high and mighty…
Stinger2
March 14th, 2011
4:47 pm
The simulation that CMR pulled with Crowell is similar to other stunts he pulls to grab attention of the players,
Not surprised. When the event was first reported at the time of Crowell`s visit,it seemed to me to be a showboat
trick but I did not think it would be a rule violation.
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:48 pm
Booger Getter
That title could be ruled null and void.
Bodda Getta
March 14th, 2011
4:48 pm
WIN,
Keep hope alive!
Let the Big Dawg Eat
March 14th, 2011
4:49 pm
Just let him eat.
schmeckdawg
March 14th, 2011
4:50 pm
@ Win With Richt, Booger Getter…NOW THAT’S FUNNY, I don’t care who you are!!!!!
WIN WITH RICHT
March 14th, 2011
4:50 pm
Stinger 2
The nerd bugs are jealous. Johnson hasn’t been able to sign one of Georgia’s top ten prospects since he got to Tech.
Jeff in Calhoun
March 14th, 2011
4:50 pm
I wonder if it was a violation for Crowell holding that puppy up before he had signed?
Alphare
March 14th, 2011
4:52 pm
WIN WITH RICHT,
did Chris Davis have a Crowell-like friend going to UGA?
Has it ever occurred to you with so many talents in a big state like Georgia, why would UGA offer a precious schoolly to somebody nobody is interested? Could it be Crowell happens to be his friend?
Taco
March 14th, 2011
4:52 pm
What a dummy!
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
4:52 pm
The NCAA and the US law/ legal system need to do the same thing. For every law passed 3 need to be eliminated. We need fewer rules/laws. Write a Law/Rule that covers a wide range of moral and ethical dilemmas. This country is proving Cheating, Lying, and Stealing is the best way to get ahead. Something has to change.
This is not a Slam on the University where a received my Fine Arts Degree, but a Slam on the decaying American Values and Culture as a whole. How do people look their children and grandchildren in the eye and justify the actions of people our culture holds in such high regard? Tech and UGA Teachers, Administrators, Athletic Department Personal, and Students have been arrested for a myriad of offences over the last year. Add to that list Police, Politicians, and US Military Personal and the US seems to be in total moral decline. Charlie Sheen, Snookie, and Lohan (to name a few) are people that fill the news with the CRAP they call lives. I hate to see this attitude filling OUR college athletics too.
Sorry but I just had to vent some of that.
Go Dawgs and Tech get a Respectable Man to replace Hewit.
gcs
March 14th, 2011
4:53 pm
You UGA fans think Richt is a good honest man who would never knowingly break the rules. That is what they used to say about Jim Tressel too.
.