UGA has to report NCAA secondary violation due to comments on Harvey-Clemons
ATHENS — Georgia will have to report an NCAA secondary violation regarding its recruitment of Josh Harvey-Clemons. But as far as secondary violations go, they don’t get much more secondary than this one.
Jim Booz, UGA’s senior associate athletic director for compliance, confirmed to The AJC Thursday that coach Mark Richt ran afoul of NCAA bylaws when he commented on Harvey-Clemons shortly after the highly-touted prospect announced on national television his decision to sign with the Bulldogs on Wednesday. Harvey-Clemons’ signing ceremony at Lowndes High School in Valdosta was televised live by ESPN and the sports network also had a reporter and camera crew with Georgia coaches in Athens.
Shortly after Harvey-Clemons made his announcement in Valdosta, ESPN reporter Cara Capuano asked Richt for his reaction and for his thoughts on prospect’s athletic abilities. Turns out that violates NCAA bylaw 13.10.2, which states that no one from a member institution can comment on a prospective student-athlete until his or her signed letter-of-intent has been received. As has been well-documented now, Harvey-Clemons’ letter-of-intent was not received by UGA until Thursday morning.
“It is something we’re having to deal with,” Booz said. “It’s not a significant issue. It’s not one that’s going to impact any of the individuals involved. It’s going to be considered a Level II secondary violation. Because of how everything transpired yesterday — it was a very, very odd and very unique situation — it just kind of caught everybody off guard.”
Booz said Athletic Director Greg McGarity will send a letter to the Southeastern Conference informing them of the mistake. But he said was highly unlikely any enforcement would result.
“In my opinion there was certainly no advantage gained by any stretch from what transpired yesterday,” said Booz, who came to UGA from Virginia last month. “It is a violation of a technical nature. But the way we’re going to operate is, if something creeps up, even something like this, we’re going to comply and report violations to the SEC if necessary and do it the right way. It’s just one of those things.”
Richt was in Louisville Thursday to attend the Paul Hornung Award banquet honoring 2012 recipient for Georgia senior cornerback Brandon Boykin and could not be reached for comment.
For what it’s worth, here’s how the NCAA bylaw reads:
NCAA Bylaw 13.10.2: Comments Before Signing.
Before the signing of a prospective student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent or an institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid, a member institution may comment publicly only to the extent of confirming its recruitment of the prospective student-athlete. The institution may not comment generally about the prospective student-athlete’s ability or the contribution that the prospective student-athlete might make to the institution’s team; further, the institution is precluded from commenting in any manner as to the likelihood of the prospective student-athlete’s signing with that institution. Violations of this bylaw do not affect a prospective student-athlete’s eligibility and are considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1.
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288 comments Add your comment
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
6:46 pm
I thought he said at the very beginning that it doesn’t get any more secondary than this. How is that a slight?
BREAKING NEWS >>>>>>
February 2nd, 2012
6:52 pm
This just in: 2 more Ga Tech coaches are forced to resign due to illegally communicating with recruits on a gay message board. Paul Johnson has threatened to personally lay a Body Avalanche and a Koronco Buster on any GT coach that breaks the rules in the future.
Jefferson Davis Hogg
February 2nd, 2012
6:56 pm
WOW!…bad news….Nick Marshall and Sanford Seay kicked off the team….Dawgs, don’t go down this path again!
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
February 2nd, 2012
7:03 pm
Wouldn’t now be a good time to get Assistant AD Booz to seek a name change if he is going to be interviewed/quoted etc. That ain’t helping the UGA image.
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
7:06 pm
certainly better than having the DUI red panties Athletic Director doing the don’t drink and drive video at the end of every home game
GTBob
February 2nd, 2012
7:08 pm
Auburn’s Rushing Defense was # 9 in the nation
Yeah, and their pass defense was ranked #108 in the nation. It doesn’t matter how much you stop the run if they will just throw it by you.
RTR22
February 2nd, 2012
7:08 pm
DawginLex, You forgot to add the most arrests in your description of “honest” noncheating team.
Oxymoron maybe…… Who really is on top of their program?
snellville jacket
February 2nd, 2012
7:12 pm
Folks it happens everywhere; just remember all of your kind folks who earlier in this week where giving my school hell and something about without sin may throw the first stone.
icedawg
February 2nd, 2012
7:13 pm
Sounds like ESPN should be reported and fined for provoking the miscue. They should lose the telecasting rights to the first half of the season.
GTBob
February 2nd, 2012
7:14 pm
They should lose the telecasting rights to the first half of the season.
After all that ESPN does for the SEC you really want to go against them?
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
February 2nd, 2012
7:21 pm
@ 13-1:
Good to hear from you.Now that we are past ND I will try to be a little nicer to you. Hope all is forgiven. It was 95% just in fun.
Pago Pago DAWG
February 2nd, 2012
7:23 pm
We still can’t figure how/why a normal male has two (2) last names?
Erk Russell's Dog
February 2nd, 2012
7:23 pm
The SEC could always go back to Jefferson-Pilot network ,but then where would Tech and the ACC go to the Lifetime network?
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
February 2nd, 2012
7:31 pm
@ Beast From The East:
Just what does “Google Gator Girl Heidi” mean and especially how do Gator Country folks “Google”?
Maybe you meant Goober Gator Girl Heidi.
GIVE ME A BREAK
February 2nd, 2012
7:36 pm
It’s time for the NCAA to just simply go away.
Hypocrite
February 2nd, 2012
7:37 pm
Unless they’re looking at any OTHER school right?
Erk Russell's Dog
February 2nd, 2012
7:40 pm
@BIG Crimson 75
You really want to go down this road, you must have a short memory Utah kicked Bama’s ass in a bowl game a few years ago ,and which Louisiana directional school beat Saban and Bama in 2007 ,oh those were Shula’s recruits I guess.I just wish the SEC had left Bama on the Dawgs 2012 schedule so we could see who is really the big Beeach.
Erk Russell's Dog
February 2nd, 2012
7:48 pm
@snellville jacket
We were not giving you hell just for the violation ,it was for not landing the recruit that your coach was trying to get,too bad he went to Auburn instead of Tech.Guess they have better fish fries.
Smitty
February 2nd, 2012
7:54 pm
is this silly or what…….
UGA Golfer
February 2nd, 2012
8:06 pm
No GTBob, beating GT ten of eleven isn’t the biggest accomplishment. Winning the SEC East and SEC is. UGA fans bring it up because your fanbase pipes in on every single UGA column with drivel and other nonsense. Most find it rather funny since GT is still a below average football program, mainly because of a lack of commitment. Probably going to be another ten of eleven for UGA as no one sees anything changing down on the flats.
CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2012
8:26 pm
UGA ought to be ASHAMED of themselves
Rick James
February 2nd, 2012
8:30 pm
We get hit with the violation but at least Georgia got the player they were chasing instead of losing him to Auburn..
Tekdown
February 2nd, 2012
8:32 pm
tech’s violations were a lot worse than Ga’s.
TuckyDawg
February 2nd, 2012
8:41 pm
When I hear about secondary violations, I have ugly flashbacks of coach Martinez, Because when he was here our secondary got violated on a regular basis.
102>86
February 2nd, 2012
8:43 pm
Cheaters!!!
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
8:45 pm
If and when the Dawgs “Dream Team now Ring Team” defeats someone with a winning record will that be a major violation. CMR = Daaaah! What a goober
Ugly Krystal Chik Georgai U
February 2nd, 2012
8:46 pm
No surprise here, we always commit violations, but we always get away with it in the Southern Exploitation of Colors group.
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
8:47 pm
Erk, envy noted.
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
February 2nd, 2012
8:49 pm
This is all a conspiracy by GT fans. LOL
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
8:50 pm
And now you guys have boys dressed as girls on steriods on your cheer-leading squad. Was that being on the cutting edge that CMR was referring too.
TuckyDawg
February 2nd, 2012
8:50 pm
Hey Bama Mike did you hire as many girl friends as you signed players, it was probably close.
Kam Fong as Chen Ho
February 2nd, 2012
8:51 pm
Low rent dawgs are proud of their weak schedule. They would take 10 straight forfeits.
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
8:53 pm
TDawg. Get the verbage correct. They were not girl-friends. They were room-mates
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
February 2nd, 2012
8:53 pm
CPJ is smart, he fired his coaches after the athletes have signed. LOL
UGA football < Confernce USA
February 2nd, 2012
8:54 pm
All our 5 Star dream team playas take the cash and run like Cam Newton..,. Yes, UGA playas get paid.
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
February 2nd, 2012
8:55 pm
Bama Mike sounding more and more like a North Ave HS bum.
TuckyDawg
February 2nd, 2012
8:56 pm
Bama Dawg that is funny I dont care what antone says.
Kam Fong as Chen Ho
February 2nd, 2012
8:58 pm
400 top universities in the world: GA Tech # 84. UGA # 386. Florida # 161
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
9:00 pm
North Avenue Atlanta Bum no. 18th Avenue Bham redneck beast yes. The beast is now self sustaining.
Mr. SEC
February 2nd, 2012
9:01 pm
Nobody in this world can tell me any different that Ala., Aub., S.C., Fla. ha never done the same and never said a word nor was penalized.
JB
February 2nd, 2012
9:02 pm
Has Bama reported anything? Hell, just one.
You want FRIES with that?
February 2nd, 2012
9:04 pm
For all Dawg haters…..I attend the #1 University….Kiss my A** U !!
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
9:06 pm
Thanks TDawg. Remeber when times are great Blog like a Champion my friend. The time for Dawgs grows near.
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
9:07 pm
GTBob February 2nd, 2012 7:08 pm
“Auburn’s Rushing Defense was # 9 in the nation”
________________________________________
“Yeah, and their pass defense was ranked #108 in the nation. It doesn’t matter how much you stop the run if they will just throw it by you.”
___________________________________________________________
Are you impaired in some manner which is not readily apparent looking at your handle ? Auburn won 7 games vs teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 25 and won 3 games vs teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 10. I hardly think you can characterize that, then, the year before last as anything but a season for the ages. I watched everyone of those games, every single one. It was amazing. There Auburn was, with no pass defense, and a running offense and therefore a running defense. And, they put it by everyone on the schedule, a schedule tough enough to make a whole entire Decade of Georgia tek tough opponents beat by this team. Oh, I forget I am talking to one of the 2 fans of a team on NCAA PROBATION in FOOTBALL back-to-back repeat offenders, whose team has lost its last 7 bowl games in a row, and not won a Major Bowl since 1955, fifty-seven years ago. Thanks so much GT Bob for all your posts on our blog attempting to dominate us with drivel about how great Georgia tek’s coach is with his # 68 Scout.com recruiting class, and how he would do so much more with our 23 times the talent than Georgia tek has, and how AWFUL Auburn was the year before last on Defense with their # 9 best Rushing Defense in the nation affording Auburn 7 wins in games against teams in the top 25 at season’s end and 3 of them in the top 10 as well. Boy, they really suck at # 9 Rushing Defense. When again was it that Georgia tek was # 9 in the nation in Rushing Defense beating 7 teams who finished in the top 25 ?
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
9:08 pm
JB. Hang on while I check. Uhhhh Nope
Bama Mike
February 2nd, 2012
9:10 pm
13-1. That is really overload Dude.
You want FRIES with that?
February 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
Last time I checked…The last 2 times Dawgs & Bama Played, Dawgs won in Tuscaloosa & Bama in Athens, kinda like this past year with Bama/Lsu! I’m GOOD !!!! Dawgs beat TECH like a red-headed step-child all the time….Nov 2012 will be no different!!!!
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
9:15 pm
Bammer fans talking about OUR SCHEDULE after, yes you beat 2 top 5 teams. Now, who were the rest of your 10 wins against please ? The rest of the 10 wins were NO DIFFERENT from our 10 wins. No difference.
TuckyDawg
February 2nd, 2012
9:15 pm
I read 13-i whole post. Gone with the Wind was shorter and more to the point
You want FRIES with that?
February 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
13-1….I remember Auburns Defense watching the Dawgs RUSH to 45 pts. this past year!!!!