Included in Ole Miss’ list of eight new (and one expanded) NCAA charges — which brings the program’s total to a lofty 21 — is this charge, which the school says it’s partially contesting (emphasis added):
The NCAA says Ole Miss boosters gave a recruit $13,000 and didn’t even land him
Sometimes the bagman can’t get results.
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
It is alleged that between April 2014 and February 2015, Former Staff Member A initiated and facilitated two boosters having impermissible contact with Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution). It is further alleged that these two boosters provided Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution) with impermissible cash payments during that timeframe and that Former Staff Member A knew about the cash payments. The value of the alleged inducements according to the NCAA is between $13,000 and $15,600. This is charged as a Level I violation.
The university believes there is sufficient credible and persuasive evidence to conclude that the impermissible contact outlined in the fourth allegation occurred. However, we are still evaluating whether there is sufficient credible and persuasive evidence to support the alleged payments and will make that determination over the course of the next 90 days.
Ole Miss agrees a former assistant coach linked this recruit up with boosters (defined by the NCAA as someone who is known by a school to have contributed to or promoted athletics or been a season-ticket holder), but says it’s uncertain that there’s enough evidence at this time to prove those payments happened.
A recruit taking money from a booster isn’t unheard of. Far from it! Nor is it entirely uncommon for a coach to become involved.
And a friendly cash gift to a high school athlete is by no means a guarantee that the player will enroll at your higher-learning institution of choice. The only binding contracts involved in this entire process are National Letters of Intent. Sometimes you just get outbid or whatever.
When that happens, do you give up? Do you wad up your duffel bags and throw away your used car keys? Or do you get back on the horse and keep swimming? I know what a winner would do. You can do it!
(This also makes you wonder about the amounts that might’ve been successful for Ole Miss boosters with other recruits. If this money was really gifted, was this the standard offer for a player of this caliber, or was this a lowball that came back to really hurt?)
