Semi OT - A crack in the dam? Texas A&M transfer narcs on program to get waiver

Submitted by stephenrjking on

This is interesting.

EXCLUSIVE: Allegations in former Texas A&M player's transfer waiver draws NCAA scrutiny to Jimbo Fisher's staff https://t.co/tjzDsSBVlG via @usatoday

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 21, 2018

 

The allegations include considerable extra "voluntary" offseason work that was mandatory, coaches supervising "optional" stuff, etc. And, something of a biggie, a coach providing cash to the player to host unofficial visits.

What's interesting, though, isn't that there are allegations against Texas A&M. I doubt they've ever been clean. What's interesting is that a player is airing the dirty laundry in order to get a waiver to be eligible to play right away. Also interesting: He is transferring to Arizona, which is where Kevin Sumlin, his old coach, is now in place.

I doubt that there are many schools where there aren't little violations like this. What could be interesting is if transfers regularly use such allegations to get waivers to play right away. 

With all of the issues that get drummed up every offseason, I wonder if we aren't approaching a point where the dam breaks and all of the corrupt underbelly of college football isn't disemboweled for all to see. It would, no doubt, hurt the entire sport, including us, but it may need to happen. 

If transfers start pulling this stuff out, it may happen quickly. 

Stringer Bell

August 21st, 2018 at 6:28 PM ^

It's not like players are gonna come out and admit that they were paid or anything, that would make them ineligible no?  If all they've got are stuff like extra practices then I don't see that causing this massive shakeup within the sport that you're proposing

stephenrjking

August 21st, 2018 at 6:40 PM ^

Actually, he admits that he was paid $300 for an unofficial visit (which are not supposed to be paid) and that he pocketed the money that wasn't spent.

The potential issue is that this could become a common thing if his waiver is approved. 

No cataclysm is certain, but the landscape is changing. Transfer airing out dirty laundry would be pretty significant. Of course, if that starts happening, transfer rules will change pretty quickly. 

Mr Miggle

August 21st, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^

He was given $300 for one visit, $400 for another with an assistant coach handing him cash in bathrooms.

I don't think that goes on everywhere. It will be interesting to see what effect this has on the transfer rules. There may be schools on both sides and I wonder who anticipated cases like this? Obviously some of the people involved did not.

 

LJ

August 21st, 2018 at 8:22 PM ^

Maybe I've missed them, but have there been recent scandals were an assistant coach--rather than a booster--has directly given cash or other impermissible benefits?  I would think that would certainly get that assistant coach a show-cause, and likely get the head coach fired.

redwhiteandMGOBLUE

August 21st, 2018 at 6:44 PM ^

Well, he's the first to attempt using the new transfer rules via "ratting out" his old school.  It seems like he has a legit case when it comes to the way the training staff dealt with his injured ankle.  Sadly, the alleged cash for entertaining recruits on unofficials will probably catch the eye of the ncaa more so than the health/well being of the athlete with regard to his ankle/leg issues.

For the record, I know I used the term ratting out but I would not consider this guy a rat.  It seems like he had legitimate health concerns and knowledge of improprieties happening and is attempting to use those circumstances for his benefit.  Good for him, since most of us believe that players far too often get the short end of the stick when it comes to transfers, compensation and the like.

 

Edit: This reply was meant to follow the post that Stringer made above.

Mr Miggle

August 21st, 2018 at 8:32 PM ^

You are probably correct about what will get the eye of NCAA enforcement, but the allegations of improper treatment may just get more attention from schools.  It should resonate with anybody who is looking at what went on at Maryland. If Maryland fires their president, as rumored, for not adopting a proposal to reform their use of trainers, this will provide one more push for other schools to do so.

DCGrad

August 21st, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^

Is this an attempt to obtain a Patterson-like waiver? I don’t think it comes anywhere close to that. Would be nice for athletes to be able to transfer to wherever the coach they committed to goes, but I doubt that will be a rule in the near future. 

UMxWolverines

August 21st, 2018 at 6:53 PM ^

Players are realizing they have more power than they thought now. This stuff can easily be found out in today's age. 

A coach like Hugh Freeze would likely not have been caught for a decade plus back in the 70s or 80s. 

sharkey

August 21st, 2018 at 7:10 PM ^

Unrelated, but on a former player knocking his old coach note.

I was listening to Rick Nueheisel on the radio today .He said he talked to Wilton Speight at UCLA. Speight said when Harbaugh did the pre game shoulder pads slap routine with him he wanted to punch him. I could swear Speight asked him to do that.

Hail Harbo

August 21st, 2018 at 9:08 PM ^

True freshman Shea Patterson won his first collegiate start against ATM.  Who knows, maybe O'Korn finds confidence in himself knowing he doesn't have to look over his shoulder every practice.  And who knows two, maybe Harbaugh gets another grad transfer.  We can never know what never happened.  What we do know is that Speight came off as entitled.

jtmc33

August 21st, 2018 at 8:23 PM ^

At some point there will be a transfer who decides to make up allegations to benefit his agenda to play right away.... only takes one bad apple to ruin an otherwise great idea. 

Mr Miggle

August 21st, 2018 at 9:48 PM ^

When has the NCAA ever taken the word of an athlete over coaches?

Ole Miss was on probation, Freeze was fired, Patterson had text messages and multiple players to support his claims, an expert lawyer and he still had to jump through a bunch of hoops to persuade the NCAA.

I'm not worried about one player lying and ruining things for everyone else. By the way, this player hired Patterson's lawyer. 

Leaders_and_Best

August 21st, 2018 at 8:59 PM ^

This could actually be serious for TAMU, the NCAA takes Coach's monitoring voluntary workouts / forcing players to participate in workouts outside of their playing and practice season very seriously. The rules are very clear you can not do this in any fashion whatsoever. Only S & C staff are allowed to be present for voluntary workouts, and they would violate NCAA rules if they report attendance to the coaches. In part of their hypocrisy, the NCAA considers this a "Student-Athlete Well Being" issue and come down hard of folks. (I would know, I worked for an FCS program that ran afoul of this)

Especially for football as there are rules specifically for FB and basketball that state you can require football student-athletes to participate in off-season workouts if they have completed a certain amount of units that year even if they aren't taking summer classes (you can mandate workouts anytime a student-athlete is enrolled in classes). Also, for FBS you are also required to declare certain periods of time during the off season where no football player is required to do anything by the coaches, so if they were in fact doing this it could be mean actual violations.

While this wouldn't cost Jimbo his job, he would still be named in the violation and they would be docked CARA hours during the regular season as punishment. So instead of getting the normal 20 hours per week, they might only get 17-18 hours a week, meaning less practice, film, weight room time and being put on probation for a year or two.