Auburn acknowledges investigations by FBI, NCAA
NEW ORLEANS — Auburn officials acknowledged Thursday afternoon that its basketball program is currently under investigation by the FBI, NCAA and SEC, but remained vague about the nature of the probe.
“Auburn officials were made aware of a rumor regarding an allegation two weeks ago and immediately reported it to the FBI, the NCAA and the SEC,” Auburn assistant athletic director Cassie Arner said in a statement released by the school. “Because of the nature of the allegation, Auburn is not in a position to make any further comment on the situation.”
Yahoo!Sports, citing multiple sources, reported earlier Thursday that Auburn is being investigated for an alleged points-shaving scheme planned by Varez Ward, a sophomore guard from Montgomery. Ward, who transferred to Auburn from Texas, has been suspended indefinitely for the last three games for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Fellow guard Chris Denson of Columbus was suspended at the same time but was reinstated after one game.
No members of the Auburn basketball team have commented yet on the point-shaving allegations. The Tigers (15-15, 5-11 SEC) and first-year head caoch Tony Barbee are scheduled to play Ole Miss (18-12, 8-8) at 7:30 p.m. in the first round of the SEC tournament.
Ward was the Tigers’ starting point guard and was averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 assists when Auburn suspended him.
The NCAA is clearly taking the accusations seriously.
“We are very concerned by the point-shaving allegations involving Auburn University men’s basketball program and have been in contact with the school and the FBI since the issue arose in February,” the NCAA said in a statement released to media outlets Thursday night. “The NCAA takes any allegation of point shaving very seriously because sports wagering threatens two of our core principles – the well-being of student-athletes and the very integrity of intercollegiate sport. As allegations of point shaving, if proven, are also potential federal crimes, the NCAA will defer action until any process with the FBI has concluded.”
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111 comments Add your comment
Hewitt
March 9th, 2012
8:09 am
I think Tech was shaving points last night in the second half. They only scored 16.
Bammer
March 9th, 2012
8:16 am
Orson Charles…yet another fine product of the UGA.
Bammer
March 9th, 2012
8:17 am
This HAS to be Bama’s fault somehow. REC must be paying off the NCAA as well as the FBI.
Someone Who Can Actually Read
March 9th, 2012
8:28 am
Mark (another one), careful bud, you are using logic and reason in your thought and you apparently read more than Chip’s misleading headline (too many words beyond that for the typical pup to comprehend I know), you are going to have your Dawgie card pulled.
Chip, sorry dude, Auburn is not being investigated, an Auburn player is. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE MORON.
LHarding Dawg
March 9th, 2012
8:31 am
I wonder if Ward got caught in an FBI sting. If so, he is toast and anyone who knew about it is toast.
DGreene
March 9th, 2012
8:52 am
The headline you chose to post on ajc.com is absolutely misleading. ONE player is under investigation, not Auburn. Another player, Chris Denson, has already been questioned by the FBI and cleared of any wrong doing. The headline is irresponsible and simply aimed to stir the pot in a predominately UGA based blog.
Dawgy
March 9th, 2012
9:03 am
Wow, I’m really surprised at the au fan’s reaction. It’s basically let’s try to spin this as auburn did right?! Basically they cheated again! And this time unlike Cam-gate they got caught…end of story.
MIke
March 9th, 2012
9:04 am
How is Auburn in trouble here?
MIke
March 9th, 2012
9:08 am
Sounds like the player may have some serious issues coming up but I see no way in which Auburn is in any sort of trouble here.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
9:21 am
How can any of you place any blame on Auburn? The reason the FBI is involved in the first place is because Auburn brought it to the FBI’s attention. Reading comprehension is a lost art, apparently. Sad, really.
All-Involved
March 9th, 2012
9:22 am
I couldn’t be less surprised. Cheating is as common at *AU as ignorance.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
9:22 am
And seriously – how can any of you bring up the Cam Newton situation? That had nothing to do with Auburn. It was a Cecil/Mississippi State issue. I swear, some of you don’t even bother reading.
All-Involved
March 9th, 2012
9:23 am
I see that Mike still has his head in a bodily cavity so as not to see the truth. Same as he did with the $cam Newton thing.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
9:24 am
But, to Ward’s credit, he figured out a way to make turnovers and missed shots – two staples of the Auburn basketball program – into a presumably profitable business.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
9:27 am
If Auburn is going to get into any trouble, it’s because they are covering something up. That would mean that it’s a conspiracy. Usually, conspirators don’t go tell the FBI about their crimes. Just saying.
G-Dawg
March 9th, 2012
9:27 am
Since there is no heisman trophy candidates or national championship implications…Mke Slive wont try to sweep this one under the rug. He’ll let the NCAA and FBI do their investigation.
Typical *AU Fan
March 9th, 2012
9:35 am
We did nothing! You can’t prove a thing!! Leave us alone and let us be like BBB (Big Brother Bama)!!! Waah!!!!
WDE FOREVER
March 9th, 2012
9:35 am
TO ALL THE HATERS (IE UGAG FANS) THE ONLY REASON YALL HATE AUBURN AND FOR THAT FACT ALABAMA IS BECAUSE YOUR FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PROGRAMS WIN NOTHING AND CHEAT JUST AS MUCH AS THE AUBURN/ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS DO UGAG CHEATS JUST AS MUCH AS ANY OTHER SCHOOL (MIAMI,OHIO STATE, USC) AND HAS WON JACK CRAP OH WAIT THEY BEAT TECH 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES WOOHOO PUT THAT ON A SHIRT ANYWAY UGAG FANS CAN KISS THE VERY SUPERIOR SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF ALABAM A**
MIke
March 9th, 2012
9:35 am
It’s funny to see all the butt-hurt UGA fans come crying. It is not Auburn’s fault your national championship trophy case has been collecting dust for 30 yrs…And what is sad is that if this is true that the Auburn PG was trying to throw games, UGA still lost to them lol
Mike
March 9th, 2012
9:39 am
Nice to see the AJC has put this at the top of the page.
Just saw the story make the rounds on Sports Center and oddly enough they ran it as “Auburn guard is being investigated” and not Chip’s headline.
So the actual guy that broke the story, the Worldwide Leader, and basically every media outlet in the country has ran with this as the NCAA and FBI are looking at a suspended Auburn player but only Chip and the AJC are going with the big “The FBI and NCAA is going after Auburn” headline.
Appears to me other readers, even UGA fans agree that this headline is misleading.
Thomas Brown
March 9th, 2012
9:52 am
“Auburn acknowledges investigations by FBI, NCAA”
__________________________________________
should read :
Auburn requested investigations by FBI, NCAA of a player on their lousy men’s basketball team.
Ted
March 9th, 2012
10:01 am
Makes you proud to be an auburn tiger. First Cam, then home evasion with football players and now point shaving. Please go to the MAAC.
Lakedawg
March 9th, 2012
10:11 am
Talked to the REAL THOMAS BROWN before he left Athens and he said if he ever catches up with the TROLL THOMAS BROWN it would be a sad sad day for trolls.
MIke
March 9th, 2012
10:14 am
Very proud of Cam. The guy won the heisman trophy, was a national champion QB, in my opinion (biased as it may be) the best football player to ever play in the SEC, NFL Rookie of the year, and a great person in the community. And as far as the home evasion, I guess you are referring to home invasion (spelling is hard). Those players were an embarassment and dismissed immediately as they should have been. And if this bonehead was involved in point shaving he will be thrown into a federal pen. This has to do with one idiot kid and not the Auburn basketball program.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
10:15 am
@Ted
“Home evasion”
I think it’s safe to say that evading homes was the exact opposite of what the four armed robbers were doing.
Please explain what the Cam Newton investigation had to do with Auburn. It was a Cecil/Mississippi State issue. Nice try though. Good job connecting dots that aren’t meant to be connected.
George G.
March 9th, 2012
10:19 am
Again, if Auburn is going to get in trouble, it’s because it was complicit in a conspiracy or cover-up. Usually, conspirators don’t tell the FBI of their crimes. It ain’t rocket science.
UGA Insider
March 9th, 2012
10:24 am
Auburn acting vague about accusations???? Now that is a shocker.
All-Involved
March 9th, 2012
10:24 am
Mike, you know *AU cheats and yet you’re still proud? Guess that says it all.
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 9th, 2012
10:27 am
I have to take a “wait and see” stance on this one..B-Ball is the one sport that has a record of a player or two going “rouge” and fixing games, without the school or coach knowing about it..lets see what the FBI etc have to say.
All-Involved
March 9th, 2012
10:27 am
Any time the NCAA shines a light on *AU, they scatter like roaches. They temporarily dodged a bullet on $cam, but one day the truth will come out. And, once again, *AU will embarrass of the SEC.
All-Involved
March 9th, 2012
10:29 am
*WDE, the “Caps Locked” button on the left of your keypad will solve one of your problems. Can’t help you with the rest.
foodfight
March 9th, 2012
10:30 am
Who knew Auburn had a basketball team?
Freddie Blassie
March 9th, 2012
10:30 am
To hell with the NCAA. These parasites have no use to anyone except to skim money. The sooner some teams start withdrawing from the NCAA and start their own athletic association, the better.
MIke
March 9th, 2012
10:33 am
UGA Insider: Jealous UGA fans acting vague about how Auburn is cheating with zero hard evidence??? Now that is a shocker.
All-Involved- The Auburn football program was cleared by the NCAA after a nearly year-long investigation. If you consider one basketball player allegedly independently throwing games causing his own team to lose cheating then sure…Makes it even more pathetic that UGA lost to Auburn in basketball this year.
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 9th, 2012
10:35 am
45-7 except to see that anytime you bring up the UGA/Au B-Ball score…..
shape shifter
March 9th, 2012
10:40 am
well what do you know a sec team in trouble.man i am glad they don’t investagate sec’s football team’s.
Pastor Newton
March 9th, 2012
10:41 am
I don’t know nuttin!!
College Park, Ga.
Aunt Bea
March 9th, 2012
11:02 am
Once again, Dawg fans acting like the morality police. If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is. How many players has UGA had arrested since Preacher Richt has been there? Y’all need to worry about your own back yard.
U
March 9th, 2012
11:15 am
Auburn – the most corrupt athletic program in college sports history. Makes us look like choir boys.
Thomas Brown
March 9th, 2012
11:56 am
I wouldn’t concern myself, were I you, about the DISNEYdawgs.com and RICHT-0-PHILES on here still saying that Auburn and Alabama are cheaters, explaining away your 3 national championships all 3 of the current 3-year period. Somehow that is supposed to make them feel better about what a great guy Mark Richt is with his # 32 won/lost record the current 4-year period.
Facts never get in their way. Auburn is NC, just as Alabama was both before and after. None cheated.
Thomas Brown
March 9th, 2012
11:58 am
147
the number of Mark Richt players arrested/suspended in his career here.
I have put the list up all 12 years.
Need it again ?
John
March 9th, 2012
12:01 pm
Aunt Bea, our own back yard’s not crawlin with FBI agents!
John
March 9th, 2012
12:26 pm
I thought this is a blog about Auburn’s involvement with an NCAA and FBI investigation.
It’s amazing how much time Thomas Brown studies the stat book. If he would only have studied his playbook more…
147
number of minutes TB has wasted accumulating his trivial dribel today.
Back to the actual topic at hand – I agree if investigation only involves one player and Auburn officials, coaches, etc had no involvement, then Auburn would be in okay shape. I would hate to be in that situation though, because thurough investigations usually uncover things.
Go Dawgs!!
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 9th, 2012
12:27 pm
@Thomas Brown just once take that list and compare it against the other SEC teams…then compare the SEC vs the ACCC and then the Big 10 and Whatever 12 etc………perhaps that won’t tell the story you want but it would tell the whole story….
Thomas Brown
March 9th, 2012
12:27 pm
John,
That is not a post about Auburn, not in any way fashion or shape son
Do as you SAY ?
Not as you DO ?
Thomas Brown
March 9th, 2012
12:28 pm
I’m sorry John, I forget you set up one set of rules for the UGA blog yourself but fail to live up them yourself. The reason for that is that that isn’t your complaint about my posts, at all. It’s that you are SPECIAL, and do whatever you want, never mind what you profess, son.
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
March 9th, 2012
12:35 pm
Funny to see how still very jealous bull puppy fans are about AU and specifically Cam Newton. Rookie Of The Year, Cam Newton. What about the one and done theory from all the Cam bashers.
BTW, Say it ain’t so, Wow, looks like you need to get a job.
Auburn basketball has been terrible since Chuck Person and Charles Barley were there. This is a total surprise and eventually, they will more than likely be exonerated. You can’t blame an entire program on the misguided actions of a few. If this was the case, they would have gotten rid of UGA from the SEC long ago!
WDE, I liked what I saw in the Chick FiL A bowl and am looking forward to the 2012 football season…
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 9th, 2012
12:39 pm
@Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE 45-7 and YES we are looking forward to the upcoming season also…should be a hoot !
What's the Big Blue Bagel's take on this?
March 9th, 2012
12:59 pm
I want to know what the Big Blue Bagel’s take on this is? He’s seems to have his ears to the ground as closely as anyone when it comes to Auburn Basketball.
ckgator
March 9th, 2012
2:30 pm
Auburn is the a-hole of the SEC. Nothing comes out of it but crap.