Report: Auburn bribed players, changed grades

[tk13]

Auburn's football program changed players' grades to secure eligibility, offered money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior seasons, and violated NCAA recruiting rules under former coach Gene Chizik, according to a report by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts.

The report appears on Roberts' website, Roopstigo.com. According to three former Auburn players, as many as nine players' grades were changed before Auburn's win in the 2011 BCS national championship game.

"We thought we would be without (running back) Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible," former Auburn defensive lineman Mike Blanc told Roberts.

According to the report, Auburn coaches offered money to players for any number of reasons, including as a means to convince players to bypass the NFL draft.

Darvin Adams, a former Auburn wide receiver, told Roberts that coaches offered him cash to keep him at the school.

Blanc and Mike McNeil, another former Auburn player, told Roberts the money amounts reached "several thousand dollars."

"Coaches would say, 'Don't tell anyone where you got it from,'" Blanc told Roberts.

McNeil told Roberts he had a meeting with then-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, now Florida's coach, in 2007.

"I had no clue what it was about because I'd never directly asked him for anything," McNeil told Roberts. "He slid about $400 over to me. He went into a drawer and gave me money and said, 'Is this enough? Is this good?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm good.'"

McNeil is awaiting trial for armed robbery stemming from a March 2011 arrest. In June, his former teammate Antonio Goodwin was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the incident. Ben Hand, McNeil's former attorney, maintained McNeil's innocence to Roberts.

Former Auburn defensive back Nieko Thorpe told Roberts that Auburn, in a team meeting, threatened players' scholarships if they contacted McNeil, Goodwin or the two other players arrested.

McNeil told Roberts he felt Auburn used him as a scapegoat at a time when the Tigers faced negative publicity from allegations that it had paid the father of star quarterback Cam Newton. An NCAA investigation found Auburn committed no major rules violations in Newton's recruitment.

"Maybe there is a fear in Auburn's mind that Michael knows too much," McNeil's father, Clifton, told Roberts. "Their fear is that Michael will expose the family secret. It's a way to silence him."

Thorpe also told Roberts the coaching staff far exceeded its NCAA-allotted per diem for entertaining recruits. Thorpe said coaches gave players $500 to entertain current Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, even though the NCAA reportedly limits expenses to less than $50 per day.

All of these allegations happened under Chizik, who guided Auburn to its first national title since 1957 after the 2010 season.

Chizik was fired after a 3-9 season last year.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...cording-report

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=1159

Every single Big 12 school is represented on this list. That's impressive. Hell, every school that has ever been in the conference is represented except Mizzou.

Hmmm maybe its not a coincidence that Mizzou has never won anything or made a final four. Interesting.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Hmmm maybe its not a coincidence that Mizzou has never won anything or made a final four. Interesting.

You realize that by saying this you're stating that your own team isn't good enough to win on its own merits, right?

[GloryDayz]

Were balls thrown at professors who refused?

[HoneyBadger]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

bullshit

Paying the players would just lead to a competition about who could pay the players the most.


start paying players and you might as well kick 70% of schools out of division 1.

False. The NCAA could give each school the same amount of money to spend. Then have the schools evenly spread out that money.

The competition for the most money wouldn't even be an argument.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

False. The NCAA could give each school the same amount of money to spend. Then have the schools evenly spread out that money.

The competition for the most money wouldn't even be an argument.

How would this stop teams from paying more under the table?

[houstonwhodat]

Cam Newton is dirtyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

False. The NCAA could give each school the same amount of money to spend. Then have the schools evenly spread out that money.

The competition for the most money wouldn't even be an argument.

sounds good to us! / Kansas football

[GloryDayz]

Burritos give you gas!

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

$$$$$

Yeah...USC doesn't have the money that Auburn does. Nailed it...

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

False. The NCAA could give each school the same amount of money to spend. Then have the schools evenly spread out that money.

The competition for the most money wouldn't even be an argument.

You do realize that boosters would still be throwing a little extra $$$ under the table, right?

[HoneyBadger]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

You do realize that boosters would still be throwing a little extra $$$ under the table, right?

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

How would this stop teams from paying more under the table?

And what's different from now?

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

And what's different from now?

if it's no different then what would be the point in making the change.

[HoneyBadger]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

if it's no different then what would be the point in making the change.

It would at least, in theory, level the playing field. It may also lower the amount of schools cheating. Plus the players should get a cut of the NCAAs profit.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

It would at least, in theory, level the playing field. It may also lower the amount of schools cheating. Plus the players should get a cut of the NCAAs profit.

In theory, all it would do is force the smaller schools to cut more of their athletic department. Then Title IX would kick in which would make all their cuts screwy.

If you want the NCAA to share more profits then do so. Putting it under the guise of paying players, to stop cheating, wouldn't do shit.

[Brendan08901]

I don't understand why sports need to be run through academics. In an ideal world, I think the NFL should have a developmental league.