The NCAA put out a statement this morning addressing Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s eligibility. I’m including it because it’s rare to see the NCAA speak through a press release so quickly. Remember it took years to get a comment out of them regarding USC.
NCAA ADDRESSES CAM NEWTON’S ELIGIBILITY
Auburn limits father’s athletic access; Mississippi State disassociates involved individual
INDIANAPOLIS—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.
In conjunction with the case, Auburn University has limited the access Newton’s father has to the athletics program and Mississippi State has disassociated the involved individual.
“The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference Commissioner. “The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”
“Our members have established rules for a fair and equal recruitment of student-athletes, as well as to promote integrity in the recruiting process,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. “In determining how a violation impacts a student-athlete’s eligibility, we must consider the young person’s responsibility. 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, which led to his reinstatement. From a student-athlete reinstatement perspective, Auburn University met its obligation under NCAA bylaw 14.11.1. Under this threshold, the student-athlete has not participated while ineligible.”
“We are pleased that the NCAA has agreed with our position that Cam Newton has been and continues to be eligible to play football at Auburn University,” Auburn University Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs said. “We appreciate the diligence and professionalism of the NCAA and its handling of this matter. ”
During the reinstatement process, NCAA staff review each case on its own merits based on the specific facts. Staff decisions are made based on a number of factors including guidelines established by the Division I NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.
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.
outrageous
i’m just surprised that the media hasn’t demanded that some repercussions follow those actions. What his father did (and what he most definitely was aware of) was imo significantly worse than what reggie bush’s family did. He literally went to different schools asking for 180K for his son to play….and then a report came out saying that Cam Newton had told someone he was going to Auburn because “the money is just too much”
i mean seriously? r u kidding me? and yet this kid gets off free and clear when he was clearly involved in this charade? I know the SEC is the best conference in the country now…and that cam newton is having an amazing season. But that shoudn’t blind them from his wrongdoing. Hell, SC self reported a GOLF CART RIDE last week that Baxter took from a rich kid/wannabe agent. They even declared Baxter ineligible til he got that cleared up AND he had to pay like $5 to a charity to make up for the assumed “cost” of the golf cart ride.
Just nuts.The NCAA is so hypocritical that it’s laughable. Truth of the matter is, they don’t want this screwing up an Auburn-Oregon national title game. If Auburn would be forced to vacate their wins then what do you do with LSU, who would now only have 1 loss? Or Alabama who would have 2 losses instead of 3 and be considered by many to still be the best? What happens to the Heisman trophy presentation in a few days? apparently almost 20% of the ballots are in and i’m assuming Cam is in the lead.
meanwhile, SC got a 2 year bowl ban, 3 years of probation and massive scholarship reductions?
ok i’m back. I just had to walk away and vomit a little. This was just a quick fix to a messy situation. Let’s hope there are some reporters out there who are as vigorous against this as they were against the wrongdoings of Bush and his family
Come on Scott, we all know that the NCAA is made of of greedy mother effers. The NCAA was not about to put an end to their cash flow through the revenue that was being generated by their Cash cow for 5 years…they milked until they couldn’t milk it anymore. Once USC lost 4 games it was time to bring the hammer down, especially with the resurgence of Alabama, Florida, Ohio State etc.. the NCAA had other avenues for their revenue…that is the reason why it took so long, it was not because they were trying to find proof of what happened, because they had had since 2006.
Of course this is garbage. Newton and his dad were going from school to school looking for a little cash in hand to “attend” school. (based on how many times he was caught cheating at Florida, how many tests and papers do you think he completed on his own)
But I don’t think vacated wins have any affect on the opposing team. I believe it effects only the team being penalized (other teams can’t claim wins).
Besides, if Newton was ineligible and Auburn lost, it would pave the way for TCU to play Oregon in the NC game. And even though TCU will be competing in the Big Least in two years, the powers that be don’t want any part of a non BCS team playing in the title game.
Huh? So if Cam Newton was ruled ineligible, when did he lose his eligibility? Wouldn’t that have been before he started playing at Auburn and wouldn’t that necessitate that he has been an ineligible player all along? This is making me sick to my stomach that the NCAA doesn’t step up and do the right thing. I’m still pissed that they ruled a UNC player ineligible after the fact but decided not to make the school forfeit the games he played in. Huh? He’s ineligible so the games he played in have to be forfeited. Oh and there is this…
The Ethical Conduct provision of the SEC bylaws, Section 14.01.3.2 dealing with Financial Aid states:
“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.”
This is the biggest joke! Seriously, does anyone really believe this guy isn’t dirty? If SC doesn’t get some reductions in their penalties, they better “nut up” and sue the fracken NCAA.
Amazing how fast the SEC can get things accomplished and how ???? the Pac-10 can’t. Those mothers (players) up in Oregon better not choke like they did last year in the Rose Bowl!
So McNair is guilty of knowing about the Bush violations based on hearsay but Cam Newton has no idea about his dad dealing him to the highest bidder, especially after he ends up not attending his supposed college of choice? RIGHT!!!!
The conspiracy against USC is finally in full light here. The double standard is questionable. Now if Haden and the main stream media can do there yob,,,, let’s get these sanctions reduced by half….
What a f’ing joke.
ALL the pressure is on Fucla. If they don’t beat us this year, they hardly EVER will. We are not a good team. This is their chance. So far, like ThaiB, they’ve stepped on their short d!@k. All comes down to their QB. If he’s on his passing game, we are dead. Barks will play…count on it. Our D looks like b00Bs wife…big holes every where, with anyone penatrating that wants too. So Slick Rick is tight and nervous. Kiff has nothing to lose. We all know this is a down year and he’ll get a pass.
Double standard or selective enforcement? Who cares? North Carolina and Auburn do not have to vacate any wins even though they used ineligible players. USC is forced to vacate wins for using an ineligible player. Something stinks.
@KNOBBED, My wife is gorgeous and with a tight body…everything is tight even after giving me 3 kids the youngest 4 and you would swear she never had any children.
Now let’s talk about yours, she’s not too bad, NUBSIE – And may I say she can suck a medicine ball thru a garden hose, and man can she moan.
I have no idea what the hell she’s doing with you, she told me you promised her that one day you would move her to Newport, even if it was a 1-bedroom apartment – but c’mon KNOBBED Stanton? that is the arm pit of OC!
I kind of admire the utter shamelessness and brazen mendacity. It’s like a press release from the gov’t of North Korea.
Awww, boohoohoo! now the Trojan fans are seeking justice, you guys sure didn’t care about justice when USC was reaping the rewards from all the cheating, were you? freaking hypocrites!! Expecting a reversal after the appeal? it ain’t going to happen, you can thank Dillor Baxter, and his “golf cart” ride.
NOBS, you vulgar man you. I told you the Trojans were done! little chickenshit, I even lowered by bet to $10,000 for you, brokeass.
b00B, check the kids DNA…one, at least, is mine. She ain’t gorgeous and after I got done wasn’t tight either. She really cried when she had to drive herself from Newport to the IE. She’s tried calling me but I refuse to answer. As for my old lady, you’re right. She knows what she’s doing. However, I’ve never seen her laugh so hard as the night she came back from a date with YOU. She couldn’t believe how short (in several places) you were. ROFLMAO
What about the fact that Reggie received a tricked out car and left the space blank on his compliance statement as to how he got it (which the SC compliance department is required to oversee)? Unlike CN, the benefits went directly to Bush and SC (the dog fighting felon) knew about it. We are talking apples and oranges here.
This seems right. Auburn runs a clean program and SC cheats. SANCTION ON!
The $EC will be protected at any and all costs…nothing new here.
hats off to Auburn for handling this matter with class, openness and integrity!! unlike the trOJies who took the “Deny, Deny, Deny” approach and spit in the Missy Conboy’s eye!!!
Cam knew nothing!! took nothing!! no car! no house! no trips! no clothes! no appliances! no furniture! no cash! go Auburn!!
if Auburn wins the BCS title, at least we will know they did it the right way, unlike the defrocked trOJies of ’04!!
AUUUUUU-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Son,
Just recently you went to great lengths to blame Cam Newtons alleged violations on the behavior of Reggie Bush some years ago. Now you shout of Cams Innocence so surely you no longer contend that Reggie’s actions influenced athletes since that time and threatened the purity of college athletics.
What gives Son?
au-woo
relax everyone — remember all this stuff takes a while and we dont know what kind of admissible evidence there is. remember it was very hard to find convincing evidence against reggie bush. eventually the ncaa found things likes a credit card receipt. also reggie’s parents actually DID get something. obviously there is a loophole here that needs to be closed but there were also loopholes that allowed the bush case to linger.
what i do find a little amusing is that all the people who are going crazy over the ncaa-newton investigation are often the SAME people who still say sc did nothing wrong. we did something wrong and it was proven — we are being punished for it. if the ncaa can prove newton did something wrong he and auburn will be punished too — but it takes time.
@KNOBBED, good one NUBSIE. I’m done with the trash talk. I don’t want to insult you or the other fellas anymore, I’m gonna be good from now and act my age. I feel good about my Bruins chances of winning on Saturday, I’m looking forward to seen the victory bell come back to Westwood.