NCAA Weighs In on Cam Newton Eligibility

CamDate - 1 December, 2010

NCAA addresses Cam Newton's eligibility

In a press release dated December 1st, The NCAA stated the following:

NCAA Weighs in On Newton Eligibility

“Auburn University football student-athlete Cam Newton is immediately eligible to compete, according to a decision today by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff. The NCAA concluded on Monday that a violation of amateurism rules occurred, therefore Auburn University declared the student-athlete ineligible yesterday for violations of NCAA amateurism rules. When a school discovers an NCAA rules violation has occurred, it must declare the student-athlete ineligible and may request the student-athlete’s eligibility be reinstated. Reinstatement decisions are made by the NCAA national office staff and can include conditions such as withholding from competition and repayment of extra benefits. Newton was reinstated without any conditions. According to facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete’s father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.

It concludes the release with….

“Reinstatement decisions are independent of the NCAA enforcement process and typically are made once the facts of the student-athlete’s involvement are determined. The reinstatement process is likely to conclude prior to the close of an investigation. It is NCAA policy not to comment on current, pending or potential investigations.“

How does this tie in with any of the previous information provided:

1. Confirms the fact that Cecil Newton and Kenny Rodgers did in fact initiate a PFP scheme between Cecil Newton and Mississippi State University.

2. Confirms the public statements of John Bond, which were later reaffirmed by Kenny Rodgers during a Radio interview with ESPN that Cecil Newton did in fact make the request of PFP

3. Substantiates the report made my News 2 Atlanta that Cecil admitted to initiating a PFP with Miss. St.

4. Indicates that based on “established evidence” agreed to by both Auburn and the NCAA AT THE TIME THE REINSTATEMENT APPLICATION WAS MADE that Cam Newton did not knowingly have knowledge of or participate in this scheme initiated by his father. Also understand the Reinstatement Committee rules solely on information provided by the requesting institution, in this case Auburn University. The committee is also mutually exclusive from both the Investigation and Infraction Committees.

What this release does NOT do:

1. Does not absolve Auburn of any wrongdoing with respect to the possibility of paying Cam or his father.

2. Does not absolve Mississippi State of any wrongdoing with respect to the possibility of paying Cam or his father.

3. Does not absolve Cam of knowing if in fact money was paid by Auburn to Cecil Newman.

4. It does not answer the question “Why Cecil asked MSU for money and not Auburn?”

There are three key phrases contained in the release, those being” facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff “, “information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity “, and “The reinstatement process is likely to conclude prior to the close of an investigation. It is NCAA policy not to comment on current, pending or potential investigations.”

Based on these comments it is highly probable that both the NCAA and SEC were getting heat from all areas about Cam’s eligibility and it’s impact on the SEC Championship game as well as the potential impact his eligibility may have on the BCS Championship game if Auburn should advance victorious from the SEC Championship contest. “Established evidence” agreed to by Auburn and the NCAA did in fact substantiate he was in fact ineligible, so Auburn, declared him ineligible and made the immediate appeal for reinstatement. For what it’s worth, this could have been the exact same procedure employed by Miss. St. should Cam have signed with the Bulldogs, thus answering the question why MSU remained active in the recruiting of Newton even though his father made the PFP request.

It also clearly states that an investigation is still ongoing, which may or may not lead to further action. In essence, all this statement did was confirm there was a PFP scheme involving Cam’s father, and although they are still looking into the matter, Cam’s eligible to play until further notice. It also states based on the established evidence, it will not be necessary for Auburn to vacate any wins. 

How Can This Be?

In order to fully comprehend the inner-workings of the NCAA, one must understand it operates as three autonomous units: Reinstatement, Investigations, and Enforcement.  It was established in this manner as to not have a "rogue" operative wage a vendetta against any one individual or institution.  The application for reinstatement made by AU to the Reinstatement committee the day after the school declared Cam ineligible for actions taken by his father. 

1) What is student-athlete reinstatement? It is the process schools must use to restore the lost eligibility of student-athletes involved in NCAA rules violations. On average, the NCAA receives more than 1,000 reinstatement requests annually, and nearly 99 percent of these requests result in the student-athlete being reinstated.

Note that initial statistic - "nearly 99% of the requests result in the student-athlete being reinstated." As other people have noted, this is because the reinstatement committee is NOT related to the investigative arm of the NCAA. The reinstatement committee exists primarily to let universities 1) self-report violations committed by their athletes, 2) let the university suggest the method(s) by which restitution can be achieved, and 3) essentially offer a quick and (relatively) simple path to resolving issues that regularly crop up in athletic departments.

If the NCAA infractions committee later decides that important facts were purposefully left out of the university's report to the reinstatement committee, the situation changes dramatically.

2) How does it work? When a school discovers a student-athlete has been involved in a violation, it must declare the student-athlete ineligible, investigate the violation, and forward its report with a request for the student-athlete's eligibility to be reinstated to the national office staff.

This seems obvious, but is very important:
 

A university is obligated to report a violation to the reinstatement committee once they discover that it has occurred.

In reality, though, this allows any university to stick their heads in the sand and pretend like they know absolutely nothing about a violation. USC attempted this. They pretended to be completely ignorant about Lloyd Lake's gifts to Reggie Bush and O. J. Mayo. And USC could have gotten away with it... if they had cooperated in a transparent fashion with the NCAA, and, more importantly, the NCAA hadn't discovered that running backs coach Todd McNair knew what was happening with Bush.

So, theoretically, Auburn could blissfully ignore the entire controversy. But, as everyone knows, Kenny Rogers directly implicated Cam Newton's father on a Dallas radio station on Nov. 11. This suddenly put Kenny Rogers in a similar role to Lloyd Lake.
 
Auburn's decision to report the "violation" is a wise move. If the NCAA ultimately finds nothing beyond a tenuous connection between Kenny Rogers, Cam's father, and Mississippi State, Auburn is now in the clear.  Why it took Auburn 18 days to report the incident to the NCAA, however, is the most questionable aspect of this particular reinstatement procedure:

* Why didn't Auburn suspend Newton on November 12 and begin their appeal to the reinstatement committee immediately afterwards?

* Are we supposed to believe that Auburn only found out about the possible violation on Monday, November 29?

* On that one date, was Auburn really able to declare Cam Newton ineligible, avoid wikileaks, investigate the entire matter in literally minutes, and immediately send off their report to the NCAA?

It is equally troubling that the NCAA responded to this single request within 24 hours, when their stated policy is to "allow three weeks for staff review." In my original thread, Slevin suggested that if the review "is before a Championship game it gets expedited to the top of the list." If this is the case, Auburn timed this process perfectly so that Cam would not miss the Georgia or Alabama games.

3) Who makes the decisions on reinstatement cases?
In short, it's a 6 member committee of athletic directors and a "student-athlete." They claim to handle "approximately 1500 reinstatement requests and 400 waiver requests" during a single academic year (figures from 2003-2004). If that, combined with the 99% reinstatement rate quoted earlier, doesn't give you an indication of the rubber-stamp nature of this committee, I don't know what will.

4) What does the staff consider when reaching its decision? The staff considers a number of factors when deciding each case. These include the nature and seriousness of the violation; any impermissible benefits received by the student-athlete; the student-athlete!|s level of responsibility; any mitigating factors presented by the school; applicable NCAA guidelines; and any relevant case precedent. It is rare that the facts of two cases are identical.

Honestly, if Auburn presented their argument clearly, logically, and simply (without divulging any significant information tying problems to Auburn), it is easy to understand why Cam would be exonerated at this early stage of the process. Presently, there is no money trail linked with Auburn. We don't know if Cam received "impermissible benefits" as a result of his father's dealings. And, as long as Auburn selectively and carefully reported the Kenny Rogers radio incident, Cam's personal involvement is currently zero.

5) What are the possible outcomes in reinstatement decisions? Student-athlete reinstatement decisions result in one of three possible outcomes. The staff may reinstate a student-athlete's eligibility without any conditions. A student-athlete may have his or her eligibility reinstated with conditions on the student-athlete, such as sitting out a specific number of contests or donating the amount of any impermissible benefits received to a charity. Or the student athlete could lose all remaining eligibility, which is extremely rare.

Cam is eligible, but the conditions are revealing. Auburn must have gone out of their way to portray this whole situation as a "father problem." That is why, as a condition of reinstatement, "Auburn University has limited the access Newton's father has to the athletics program."

6) How is the information gathered to determine reinstatement decisions? Student-athlete reinstatement decisions are based on an evaluation of the information provided to the staff by the involved school, given the NCAA reinstatement staff's role is not investigatory in nature. While the student-athlete reinstatement staff may ask additional questions related to the reinstatement request, it is the school's responsibility to provide all necessary information for the staff to consider.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT ON WHY CAM WAS DECLARED ELIGIBLE:  Auburn, alone, is responsible for reporting all of the facts and circumstances concerning a violation. Nothing else matters. Thus, the university has complete control over what the reinstatement committee is reading when they make their decision. If Auburn goes on record as saying that "Cam Newton had no knowledge of the pay-for-play scheme initiated by his father," the committee HAS to accept that statement as fact during their deliberation process.

Note the wording on the statement by Kevin Lennon, NCAA VP for academic and membership affairs:

"Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity."

The committee fully knows that their information may, or may not, be complete... "at this time."

Conclusions:

1) The reinstatement committee is a tool of convenience and almost never enforces penalties.

2) Despite what's being reported in the media, this ruling by the reinstatement committee is not setting precedent, nor is it creating a massive loophole that allows parents to market their sons and daughters. The infractions committee can, and likely will, still weigh in.

3) Auburn is rightfully using the reinstatement committee so that they can isolate the statements by Kenny Rogers, tie them to Cam's father, and keep Cam eligible for the immediate future. I am impressed with how they have handled this process to their advantage.

4) Nevertheless, if people want to criticize the NCAA, they should focus on how Auburn received an answer from the committee within 24 hours. That fact understandably fuels speculation that something collusive is happening between Auburn and the NCAA.  

The Eligibility of Cam Newton

CamDate -  26 November, 2010

Ever since the Thursday before the Georgia v. Auburn game on November 13th, questions regarding Cam Newton’s eligibility have swirled about building to a frenzied crescendo when Cam boarded the bus on Friday the 12th to travel with the team during their normal pre-home game rituals and meetings. Speculation on whether Cam would play or not was 1st questioned when Auburn University’s coaching staff, Athletic Dept., and Board of Trustees changed their cries of “witch-hunt” “hatchet job” and “1,000 percent innocent” to an abrupt “no comment.” Cam sightings broadcasted across every sports and news channels on game-day Saturday fed the media machine until he walked the field before pre-game warm ups. This latest “OJ driving through Westwood, Ca.” was fueled by speculation surrounding the 180-degree change in Auburn’s modus operandi, not coincidentally just 48 hours after FBI and NCAA interviews held with John Bond, Kenny Rodgers, Bill Bell, and Jodi Wright. Cam did play and play well. Auburn beat Georgia keeping their unbeaten record for 2010 intact, while securing the SEC Western Division title.
 
On November 20, 2010, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive issued an 8 game suspension to University of Tennessee head basketball coach Bruce Pearl for “violations of conference rules and procedures” relating to the recruitment of prospective players. This suspension was for 8 SEC conference games, and mutually exclusive from anything related to the ongoing NCAA investigation involving the alleged violations. The suspension was based on new rules and authorities granted the Commissioner and SEC during the Spring, 2010 meetings expanding the ability to issue sanctions when the integrity of competition and the League is compromised. In considering a punishment, Slive asserted a phrase that will become more important as the Newton case continues to evolve.

"We wanted to be certain that we understood the established facts before we considered what action, if any, the conference should take." – Mike Slive, SEC Commissioner

Slive distinguished the SEC's punishment of Pearl from its inaction on Newton based on the presence of "established facts" in the case of Pearl and the lack of such facts in the Newton investigation as it stood at the time of Pearl’s suspension. Asked whether he thought about waiting for the NCAA to issue its findings before acting, Slive replied,

"I did think about it. I thought about it for a long time. But we had established facts here. ... I thought it was important for our conference to do something rather than just to wait for the NCAA and do something on top of that."

Slive went on to acknowledge the process by which he tries to make a reasoned decision in the frenzied modern media environment.

"I try to be deliberate," Slive said. "I think sometimes to the frustration of others, but I think we have an obligation to act on established facts."

This suspension opened a whole new deliberation as to whether Cam would in fact be able to participate any further. This is an article released November 12th by CBS Sports.com surrounding the allegations regarding Cecil Newton and Mississippi State. While it's still too early to say with absolute certainty whether Newton will even be playing for Auburn tomorrow, much less at any point for the rest of the season, the actual nature of his misdeeds -- which are, at this point, purely alleged and based solely on the statements of a handful of Mississippi State-affiliated men -- seems to be less of a mystery today than it was earlier this week.

According to Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta, Cecil Newton has reportedly admitted to soliciting money from Mississippi State. Cecil Newton's alleged admission -- which comes without so much as a direct quote from Newton -- is apparently worded in a fashion that attempts to absolve all other parties of blame:

A source close to the situation exclusively told Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Mark Winne that the player's father, Cecil Newton, has admitted having conversations with an ex-Mississippi State University player about the possibility of under-the-table money if Cam Newton signed to play football at Mississippi State, though he's steadfastly maintained that no money ever changed hands and said no official at Mississippi State ever made such an offer.

According to Winne’s source, Cecil Newton said his son’s hands are clean, and has made it clear that Cam Newton himself and his mother knew nothing about the money discussions, nor did Auburn University, with whom the Westlake High School grad from College Park eventually signed with out of junior college.”

  Cecil Admits to Asking MSU to P4P

The problem that Cam Newton faces is that his father's reported admission, while certainly nice-sounding, might not preserve Cam's eligibility; Mississippi State was led to believe that it would need to pay for Cam to play there. That in and of itself is not only a SEC violation, but also a NCAA violation.

From the SEC Constitution: 

14.01.3.2 Financial Aid.
If at any time before or after matriculation in a member institution a student-athlete or any member of his/her family receives or agrees to receive, directly or indirectly, any aid or assistance beyond or in addition to that permitted by the Bylaws of this Conference (except such aid or assistance as such student-athlete may receive from those persons on whom the student is naturally or legally dependent for support), such student-athlete shall be ineligible for competition in any intercollegiate sport within the Conference for the remainder of his/her college career.

From NCAA Bylaws (amended October 27th, 2006)
 
14.01.3 Compliance with Other NCAA and Conference Legislation.
To be eligible to represent an institution in intercollegiate athletics competition, a student-athlete shall be in compliance with all applicable provisions of the constitution and bylaws of the Association and all rules and regulations of the institution and the conference(s), if any, of which the institution is a member. A violation of this bylaw that relates only to a violation of a conference rule shall be considered an institutional violation per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such a violation shall not affect the student-athlete’s eligibility. Specific attention is called to legislation affecting eligibility in the following areas.

To summarize,

• There are the original allegations by Bond, Mullin, and MSU of the Pay-For-Play demands by Cecil Newton, thru both himself and Kenny Rodgers.

• There were interviews held by the FBA and NCAA regarding this so called Pay-For-Play Scheme.

• According to WSB-TV2 in Atlanta, Ga., Cecil Newton admits to the request made to MSU, but asserts neither Auburn, Cam, or Cam’s mother knew about it.

• Slive and SEC suspend BPearl for 8 games while NCAA investigation still underway, for “substantiated and established evidence” of wrong-doing on the part of Pearl regarding recruiting violations, a direct violation of the rules and charter governing the Southeastern Conference.

PREFACE

College Football is considered a “second religion” amongst fans during the fall months in the Southeastern Conference.  Oftentimes, the work-week ends at noon on Thursday allowing fans the ability to travel to an out of town venue, or begin preparations for the oddity known as “tailgating” celebrated in all its’ glory before each and every game.  From the time the work whistle blows signaling the release from the incarceration of our daily lives to the final horn signaling the end of a hard fought contest, a steady crescendo of anxiety and emotion builds to a frenzy exemplified in what is commonly known as the passion of the SEC.  Often copied but never duplicated, conferences have grown envious of what all of us consider a way of life.   

Tigerdroppings.com is an invaluable venue allowing ‘all things known” to be quickly disseminated to the curious located throughout the world.  It makes it’s way to the traveling businessman, as well as the vacationing or transplanted lurker; to those working offshore, or to the thousands serving our country in the military stationed abroad.  Nearly every athletic organization and sport is represented.  It is often sought in determining the best solution to a particular problem, garnering the catch phrase WWTDD ”What Would TigerDroppings Do?”  Most importantly, it is a format where people can share and offer opinions regarding the News, Sports, and other information pertinent to our lives. 

The unfortunate circumstances currently swirling around Auburn’s Athletic Department have been quietly rumbling for months, with the events of these last two weeks leading to an explosion of information most minds are incapable of comprehending.  It is for this reason I, with the assistance of the many members of TD’s SEC Rant, gathered the information, discussions, and opinions being shared, consolidated the high points, and compiled everything into a reader friendly format – sort of a “CamGate for Dummies.”   That said, I am not the original source of the information provided, nor can I, or will I, verify any information contained herein. With that understanding, the following is a compilation of threads, discussions, and opinions taken from TigerDroppings.com’s SEC Rant regarding Cam Newton, Auburn University, and Auburn’s Board of Trustees.   

blueTunaTiger

BEAUREGARD TOWN

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

John Bond - Former MSU QB now living in Madison, Miss.  Director of business development for Eutaw Construction. His company specializes in heavy construction, although they branched off in the last few years and built some game-day condos near the Mississippi State stadium. Supposedly had 1^st contact with Kenny Rodgers and his alleged representation of Cam Newton

Greg Bryne - MSU AD which John Bond asserts he immediately told once he learned about the Newton PFP Scheme.  Was responsible for providing PFP information to the SEC. Resigned his post Spring, 2010 taking a similar position at Arizona.  Was replaced with the National Search find of Scott Stricklin – Named Mississippi State’s associate athletics director for external affairs in May, 2010. Scott, who has spent the previous five seasons at Kentucky as associate AD for media relations overseeing men’s basketball, is a Jackson native and graduated from KSU in 1992

Mike Slive – Replaced Roy Kramer as Commissioner of the SEC on July 1, 2002. He previously was the first commissioner of Conference USA from 1995 to 2002, and the first commissioner of the Great Midwest Conference upon its founding in 1991.  Practiced law in New Hampshire; Served as judge of the Hanover District Court from 1972 to 1977, and was a partner in a Chicago law firm. He was assistant director of athletics at Dartmouth College, assistant executive director of the Pacific-10 Conference, and director of athletics at Cornell University from 1981 to 1983. In 1990, he became senior partner and founder of the Mike Slive-Mike Glazier Sports Group, a legal practice specializing in representing colleges and universities in athletics-related matters.

Cecil Newton, Cam Newton– Pastor of Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in the Atlanta suburb of Newnan, Georgia, and father of Cam Newton, The Auburn player this epic story surrounds.  Rumored to own RM Trucking, a small local carrier based in Jacksonville, Ga.  Cam Newton is Auburn’s embattled starting QB that played previously at the Univ. of Florida before transferring to a Junior College. 

Bill Bell – Former MSU Player, president of Bel-Mac Roofing Co. in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Was the man Kenny Rogers left a voice message with stating Cecil Newman wanted to speak with him.  Also rumored to have taped conversations between Himself and Newton where Newton Shops Son’s Commitment. 

Kenny Rodgers – The so-called “handler” requested by Cecil Newman to make introductions at MSU. Operates Elite Football Preparation, a company that places prospective athletes in football camps throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Illinois.  Also has direct links to Ian Greengross, a certified Agent by the NFLPA, acting often as a “Runner” for Greengross.   

Dan Mullen – Head Football Coach MSU.  Was offensive Coordinator at Univ. of Florida prior to be coming MSU’s Head Coach.  Both Mullen and his wife Megan built Relationship with Cam Newton during his freshman year at the Univ. of Florida.  Mullen is credited with the development of several notable quarterbacks including Alex Smith (Utah), Josh Harris (Bowling Green), Chris Leak (Florida) and Heisman Trophy-winner Tim Tebow (Florida).  Mullen, along with LSU Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton and University of Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly, are part of the so-called "New Hampshire mafia" as they all have strong connections to New Hampshire.

Jody Wright – Asst. coach at MSU in 2009, now on staff at UA in the same capacity - was the one who recruited Cam Newton for Mississippi State. It's believed that Wright is speculated to be the (legal) middle-man between the Newton's and MSU.  Was interviewed by the NCAA on November 15^th.  Upon completion of that Interview, NCAA headed immediately to Auburn. 

Gene Chizik – Named Head Coach of AU on Dec. 13, 2008. Prior to Auburn, Was head coach at Iowa State, compiling a 5-19 record in two seasons.  Chizik was also at AU during the 2002-2004 seasons acting as DC under Tuberville. 

Jay Jacobs – Named AU’s AD on Dec. 22, 2004, after working in almost every area of the Dept. for the previous 20 years.   Played Football for AU as a Walk-on offensive tackle in 1982 and 1983. After College, Held various positions in AD while working under then Coach and AD Pat Dye. Was Sr. Assoc. AD in charge of Tigers Unlimited from 2001-04, the lead Fundraising arm of the AU AD.  Also spearheaded a $90 million capital campaign for Athletics, the largest AU history.

Pat Dye - Head coach and AD at AU from 1981 until 1992. Dye was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.  Served as defensive coach at UA from 1965 to 1973 under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.  Ranked 3^rd in AU football wins with a record of 99-39-4.  Reign on the Plains ended abruptly after the 1992 season, the result of a NCAA probe relating to illegal loans, payments, and gifts made by boosters and assistant coaches to then player Eric Ramsey.  At the time, the most severe penalty handed down by an NCAA Committee.

Eric Ramsey - The defensive back AU in the early 1990s who used a tape recorder to secretly record conversations between his football coaches and Booster "Corky" Frost regarding an illicit player payment scheme. Ramsey's allegations also included racist practices at Auburn, including disapproval of inter-racial dating in the community and segregation of black and white players in the resident athletic dorm. After his tapes were revealed, Auburn received strict penalties and probation for the sixth time in the schools history

Terry Bowden – a.k.a. “Tater Tot”, and son of the legendary Bobby Bowden.  Became AU head coach in 1992. During his first year at Auburn, Bowden led the Tigers to a perfect 11–0 season, becoming the first coach to go undefeated in his debut season at a Division I school. In 1994, Auburn finished 9–1–1, establishing the longest winning streak in school history at 20 games. While still suffering from the sanctions rendered for Dye & Co’s transgressions, in 1998 Bowden's fate at AU changed as he faced criticism for recruiting woes and off-the-field player discipline issues.  Compound these problems with a string of injuries at center and in the backfield and you have to a disastrous start of the 1998 season. After starting with a 1–5 record, Bowden resigned as head coach the night before Auburn played against Louisiana Tech, replaced with Bill Oliver.  

Bill Oliver – He is best known as a DC at both UA under Gene Stallings and at AU under Terry Bowden, the latter where he also served as interim head coach in 1998.  Was at the center of Bowden controversy, allegedly working with longtime booster and then BoT member Bobby Lowder conspiring to have Bowden fired. 

Wayne Hall – Longtime asst. and DC under both Dye and Bowden.  Was the supposed “Bookkeeper and Bag Man” for payments to touted recruits under Dye, which continued under Bowden. Started Coach’s Construction of Auburn, has been recognized as a premier business leader in the AU community.  (see link)

Gene Jelks – UA defensive Back and prize recruit which received $2,100 as a "signing bonus" when he committed to Alabama in 1985 and received money from coaches and boosters during his playing career, which ended with the 1989 season.  He, along with Antonio Langham and his role in NapkinGate, led to the departure of Gene Stallings and Staff, along with most of the Athletic Dept.

 

Tommy Tuberville – AU Head Coach from 1999 to 2008. During his tenure Tubs guided AU to the top of the SEC, Winning both the SEC Championship and the Western Division title in 2004. Made 8 straight bowl appearances and 5 New Year's Day bowls.  Was a perfect 13–0 in 2004; In 2005, finished 9–3 with victories over UGA and UA.  Had a winning record against UA (7–3) including 6 straight, more than any other Auburn coach.  Also broke even with Georgia and LSU (5–5).

Tony Franklin – Much maligned OC hired by Tubs to install the spread offense.  Never really had the proper personnel at skilled positions, and was later fired for lack of performance.  Was most noted for his quote in the AJC sometime after his termination – “People would be shocked at the stuff that goes on at Auburn - it would make headlines for the National Enquirer”

Trooper Taylor – Current assistant head coach, wide receivers coach, and Recruiting Coordinator at AU. Instrumental in Auburn signing a consensus top-five recruiting class in 2010. Named by Rivals.com to its list of the top 25 recruiters for the 3^rd time, having previously earned the recognition in 2005 and 2007.  Served in a similar capacity at OK. State, landing prize 5* players Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter.  Has held similar positions at both UT and Tulane.  Although never formally sanctioned, rumors and innuendo have always followed Taylor with respect to PFP controversies and inappropriate gifts to prospective players, especially while at Tulane. 

Rich McGlynn – Current AU AD Compliance Officer. Prior to AU, was employed by the NCAA from 2001 to 2006, most recently serving as Associate Director of Membership Services. Prior to that, was an Assistant Director of Membership Services and a Student-Athletes Reinstatement Representative within the Enforcement Services arm of the NCAA. Was Commissioner of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference from 2000-01 and was a legal specialist for the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office (2000-01). Served as a legal specialist to the Office of Counsel to the Governor to the State of New Jersey (1999-00).

W&L – According to those in the know, in real life is a fairly influential religious figure in Al. working with athletes at the high school and collegiate level.  In cyber space, he’s a long-Time member of Bama OnLine, who evidently is very well placed within the Bama athletic machine. Rarely does he post, but when he does most take it to the bank. Doesn’t always post the actual facts as “Gospel”, but rather his opinion based on unrevealed concrete facts.  Evidently was way ahead of the Jones/Ingram fishing saga, the Saban hiring, and most recently the Dareus suspension. Also the seed for the Egg’s nearly 1200 post thread regarding W&L’s “e-cred.” 

Paul Davis – Editor for the Opelika-Auburn News and the Tuskegee News Press.  Often critical of Lowder and his mingling, broke the piece on October 21^st regarding the ties between Geddie, Auburn, and the Vote buying indictments.  Also authored the interview with Bowden in 2001 on his ranch regarding Lowder, Dye, and the BoT

Robert Geddie – Lobbyist for Wise–Geddie.  According to the Department of Justice, (Geddie) was nailed for allegedly working with the state’s major gambling interests to influence and/or buying votes favoring proposed gambling houses.  The indictment was based primarily on intercepts (wire taps) of cell phone and land-line conversations with those now rumored in the alleged pay-for-play scheme

 

Bobby Lowder – AU BoT member since 1988, and Chairman of AU Finance Committee.  Also the largest booster with AU Athletics.  Current Trustee position expires Late 2011.  Was chairman and CEO of Colonial BancGroup, a $26Billion Nat’l. Bank headquartered in Montgomery Al. until it’s failure in Mid-Late August, 2009.  Lowder is often thought of as the Wizard behind the Curtain, manipulating the Ala. political machine as well as the AU BoT and AD as he feels.  Up until Colonial’s failure and takeover and liquidation by the Feds, Lowder was labeled as the most powerful man in Alabama.  Also the most disliked individual within AU, outside of his inner circle. 

Milton McGregor – Large AU Athletics Booster, and Owner of VictoryLand, an area located in Shorter, Alabama that consists of a greyhound racing track, casino, and a 5-star hotel. It was dubbed as a “racino.”  Ala. Governor, Atty General, and approx 100 Ala State Troopers tried to seize bingo machines on Jan. 29^th, but were blocked by a temporary restraining order blocking State access.  Since August 12, 2010, VictoryLand has closed its casino, restaurant and hotel operations.  McGregor was arrested on October 4^th, along with several of his legislative cronies as part of a Vote buying scam.  This was the same casino operator that led to the lawsuits against former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford. 

Larry Langford – Former Birmingham Al. mayor in jail for taking $235,000 in cash and gifts from associates profiting from Jefferson County bond deals.  Was also sued by several individuals claiming he received ill-gotten winnings from rigged bingo machines at VictoryLand, in exchange for receiving political favor and to promote approval of business dealings for affiliates of the Macon County Greyhound Park, mainly McGregor.

Jimmy Rane – Another Long Time AU Booster, Rane is the CEO and founder of Great Southern Wood Preserving, which makes YellaWood, a rot resistant pressure treated lumber used in a multitude of construction and landscaping applications. He is also the founder of the Jimmy Rane Foundation, which promotes higher ed through scholarships for lesser-advantaged students with low incomes or unsuccessful surroundings.  Rane’s involvement in AU Boosters goes all the way back to the Bowden era.  In fact, Bowden referred to him, in his 2001 interview with Paul Davis “…as a wannabe, a jock sniffer, a loose cannon. He wants to be involved in everything.  He is high maintenance.”  

Paul Spina and John C. McWhorter – Spina of Spina Enterprises, Pelham, Al (Real Estate & Investments) and McWhorter of McWhorter & Co., Anniston, Al (General Contractor) are the two BoT members along with Rane that Bowden accused of making direct payments to players during both Dye’s and Bowden’s tenure.  Spina still sits on the BoT, while McWhorter’s at-large term expired in 2008. 

ORGANIZATIONS – TERMS – ACRONYMS

Colonial BancGroup -  $26Billion financial institution controlled by Lowder headquartered in Montgomery, Al.  August of 2009, failed and was seized by the FDIC, and simultaneously sold to BB&T for $1Million.  Currently under federal investigation for fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering (to name a few) in conjunction with the financial instability of both Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac.  As late as 2007, board members included in addition to Lowder, John Miller, - AU BoT and lead partner of Miller, Hamilton, Snyder, and Odom – Mobile; Jimmy Rane (BoT), Pat Dye, and Milton McGregor.  Paul Spina (BoT) was Chairman of Colonial Bank Group, Montgomery, a subsidiary of the Colonial parent holding company.   

Victoryland / Quincy’s 777, an area located in Shorter, Alabama that consists of a greyhound racing track, casino, and a 5-star hotel. It was dubbed as a “racino.”  Operations closed in late summer 2010, just before McGregor was indicted.

 
Bama OnLine (BOL)– Rivals.com site discussing all things Bama.  ITAT conspiracy theorists feel several posters on this site are the machine behind the atrocity known as CamGate. 

Tiger Sports Digest (TSD)– LSU’s Scout.com pay site. November 16^th reports indictments handed down today involving Auburn Boosters caught on tape discussing PFP scheme. 

Red Elephant Club  (REC)- UA Athletics contribution vehicle and booster club.  Not confirmed, but also rumored to have overthrown the Freemasons, the Illuminati, The US Federal Reserve System, The 7 Jewish Bankers controlling the world’s economy, as well as keeping the commitment of a 6:30am Friday tee time at Augusta National with Pope Benedict XVI

SACS- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - The Commission on Colleges that is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting for higher education institutions in the southern states. 

ITAT – Inside the Auburn Tigers.  Scout.com’s website with discussions all things Auburn.

PFP – Play-For-Play

BoT – Auburn University’s Board of Trustees

SECr – TigerDroppings.com’s SEC Rant

SIAP – Seen In Another Post

WWTDD – What Would TigerDroppings.com Do?

 



 

BACKGROUND HISTORY INVOLVING DYE, LOWDER, THE BoT, AND THE COACHES.

Terry Bowden--(Source: Darkside of College Football Interview with Paul Davis at Bowden’s ranch in 2001)

 

1) Way back in 1992-93, rumors and allegations surrounding AU's football program are swirling around Pat Dye, asst. coach Wayne Hall (the "Bookkeeper"), and Bobby Lowder; specifically, claims of both lump sum and monthly payments to highly touted recruits being made by the coaching staff and BoT members.  Supposedly, 50-60 boosters would each contribute $5,000 to facilitate the payments. Hall collected the money from the boosters, as well as making the payments to the players. Hall and Dye also paid an Atlanta atty. $30,000 to forward to Gene Jelks as “juice” to keep him squealing about PFP programs at Bama. (This by the way if true, is absolutely hilarious!!) 

2) The same year, Eric Ramsey uses a concealed tape recorder and documents booster "Corky" Frost's conversations with Dye and other coaches describing AU's PFP program and how it worked. 

3) Before the shit-storm gets totally out of control with NCAA Investigations, Bobby Lowder 'ram-rods" Terry Bowden into Dye's position as coach, with the understanding Bowden keeps Hall (Paymaster and Bookkeeper) on staff, against the wishes of assoc. AD Mike Lude, because Lude knew Hall was the money man. 

4) On August 18, 1993, Auburn was hit with some of the most severe penalties in the history of the NCAA (at that time). These included a two-year bowl ban, a one-year television ban (for the 1993 season), and the loss of 13 scholarships spread out over a four-year period. Dye was also banned from any appearance at an Auburn function until August 1995. The probation period, while enforced at the beginning of the 1993 season, did not actually start until the 1991 probations of the basketball and tennis teams ended. The probation therefore extended until Thanksgiving 1995. 

5) Although Bowden admits to allowing Hall to honor payment agreements reached with existing players, Bowden begins the "termination" of the PFP program involving any new recruits, pissing Lowder off for not playing along, even though sanctions were severely limiting the talent pool in Football. Lowder begins to panic, has his daughter hired as Bowden's admin. asst. to keep tabs, and implements a "coup" of the Athletic Administration. He has Muse replaced with David Housel, someone to act more as a puppet controlled by Lowder. Also orchestrates BoT Members Jimmy Rane, Paul Spina, and John C. McWhorter as the BoT Football Advisory Committee, which orchestrates the demise of Bowden.

6) According to Bowden, Danny Rane (a walk on and YellaWood's son) is secretly sending AU practice tapes to Miss. St. to further the failure of Bowden and staff (also absolutely hilarious if true.)  Bill Oliver (Bowden's def. coord.) brings a concealed tape recorder to a coaches meeting and prods Bowden into lying about supposed "votes of confidence" assured for Bowden and Staff by Lowder. Mid-season Tommy Tubs is promised AU's head coaching job, while still coaching at Ole Miss. 

7) Bowden gets wind of all this, and resigns mid-season before the BoT and Lowder can orchestrate his formal termination.  By doing so, Bowden secures a severance package of the Ranch where this interview took place, a lump sum payment of cash, and deferred installment disbursements, in all valued at over $1.8Million. Also included in the package is a confidentiality agreement sealing ANY discussion of Lowder, BoT, the Athletic Dept. or recruiting. 

 

 

TOMMY TUBERVILLE- “TUBS”  (source: AJC, Mobile Register, and ESPN Archived Articles via Google) 

1) From 1999 to 2003, Tubs wins between 7-9 games per season, placing 1st in the West twice. On more than one occasion, Lowder and Tuberville butt heads during this period, pissing Lowder off. 

2) That Lowder, then President William Walker, then AD Housel, and BoT members Franklin and McWhorter fly to Louisville to meet Bobby Petrino about replacing Tubs, starting the fiasco later known as JetGate. 

3) Tubs gets pissed, threatens to go to the SACS (which is in the midst of it's own review of BoT problems caused by Lowder), and the whole thing blows up in Lowder's face. In an effort to keep Tubs at bay, his contract is renegotiated to include a disclosure provision that Tubs is to be notified before any contact with a potential coach or search is made. 

4) Tubs goes 13-0 yet AU gets snubbed for 2004 BCS. 

5) 2007 Saban is hired at the University of Alabama 

6) Lowder and Co. are scared about the Saban hire and want Tubs out, allegedly because Tubs won't "actively" participate in PFP schemes which Lowder and Co. feel is necessary to compete with Bama's new hire.  Also, the Tubs hire of Franklin as OC was a compete failure.  Supposedly “YellaWood” (Still BoT Member) contacts Huston Nutt (Sexton Client) about possible interest. Nutt tells Sexton, who tells Tubs (also a Sexton client), who threatens litigation for breach of Search Notification clause. 

7) AU and Boosters shell out $Millions to Tubs as settlement.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)-(source: Timeline - AJC Archives, Al.com, via Google)

1) April 1999. Budget cuts orchestrated by Lowder as head of BoT Finance Committee eliminate the PhD. program in Economics, pissing off a large portion of the faculty, including then Pres. William Muse. By Feb, 2001 (led behind the scenes by Lowder) Muse has enough, resigns under pressure, and takes a similar position with East Carolina. 

2) March, 2001, Muse along with several faculty and Dept Chairs, initiate a formal complaint to the SACS that BoT has severely infringed upon the authority of the University President, specifically the "Micromanagement" by Lowder in both Academics and the Athletic Dept. They specifically site the termination/resignation of Terry Bowden as record. 

3) SACS records 9 votes of no confidence and was in the process of initiating and investigation when AU sues the SACS for lack of due process. 

4) In August, 2002 a Federal Judge appoints an independent examiner to look into allegations, as well as the financial ties between the various BoT members. Richard Bradley issues a report on December 13th, but the Judge, at the insistence of SACS, deems the report inadequate. So Bradley does another investigation, the results of which are curiously sealed by a separate court order, an order which still remains intact today. 

5) SACS places AU on a one-year probation, the most severe sanction possible without pulling the accreditation entirely. Although hampered by a Federal Judge's restrictions, they were still able to substantiate Micromanagement issues. Specifically, the business relationships between Lowder's Bank, Atty Jack Miller (BoT member as well as lead counsel for Colonial Bank) Jimmy Rane (BoT Member whose Lumber Company's primary commercial banking relationship is with Colonial Bank, Also owning Colonial Bank Stock valued at the time over $2.4Million), would allow Lowder and his "minority" vote could influence the "majority" of the Board. They also noted Lowder & Co.'s involvement in both the Dye-PFP and Bowden termination as Micromanagement. 

 

 

Chizik - (source: ESPN: editorial via Google with added supposition)

) Rane makes contact with Houston Nutt in 2008 mid-season, violating the search notification clause in TTubs' Contract renegotiation after JetGate. 

2) Nutt tells Sexton (his Agent), which in turn tells Tubs who is also a Sexton client. Tubs resigns, gets a huge settlement, leaving AU coachless. 

3) Lowder and AU continue search, which ultimately leads to the hiring of Chizik, a former Sexton client which with a 5-19 record would knowingly jump at any opportunity to enhance his resume. Chizik also was familiar with Lowder, Dye, and Co., as he previously acted as DC under Tubs, making him a perfect "puppet" for Lowder and crew to manipulate. Chizik's new Recruiting Coordinator is Trooper Taylor.