ESPN is reporting today:
Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State told school compliance officials in January that quarterback Cam Newton and his father each admitted in separate phone conversations that his college choice would be about money.
The sources said that prior to Newton’s commitment to Auburn, Cecil Newton said it would take “more than a scholarship” to get his son to that school and that a third party could provide specifics. Newton was told the school would not meet such a request, according to the sources, who say the information was relayed to SEC officials.
An emotional Cam Newton is said to have later called another Mississippi State recruiter to express regret over changing his commitment to the school but that his father chose Auburn because “the money was too much.”
So according to ESPN, SEC knew about phone conversations which nailed Cam Newton on a pay-for-play scheme?
Let’s revisit what ESPN reported about the SEC’s response to its first report last week about possible impropriety involving Newton’s recruitment:
SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who oversees conference compliance, said the league received “specific information” regarding the Newton allegation in late July of this year.
“When we get information, we share it with the institution when it is involved,” Sankey said.
Without specifically addressing the initial call from Mississippi State, which came several months earlier, Sankey said what the SEC originally was told about the allegation was “limited information.”
“We don’t deal in rumor and innuendo,” Sankey said. “We deal in facts.”
He said the SEC is not an investigative body, adding that it can share information with NCAA enforcement as needed. He declined to say whether the Newton allegation was shared with the NCAA.
Sankey also would not directly comment on whether the league office considers this an ongoing issue or a closed case.
“We’re attentive to a variety of issues at any given time,” he said. “We pay attention to a lot.”
Here’s the key part of that ESPN reportage:
Without specifically addressing the initial call from Mississippi State, which came several months earlier, Sankey said what the SEC originally was told about the allegation was “limited information.”
“We don’t deal in rumor and innuendo,” Sankey said. “We deal in facts.”
According to ESPN, the Newton phone calls took place last January.
Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year.
Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January, according to two other sources close to the football program.
The SEC’s Sankey said the original call from Mississippi State about Newton, which came “several months” before July, contained “limited information.”
Of that original contact, Sankey said, “We don’t deal in rumor and innuendo We deal in facts.”
But now according to ESPN, that information included the Newton phone calls.
And what about the NCAA? The ASSOCIATED PRESS reported four days ago:
The NCAA is reviewing the recruitment of Newton, but Auburn has not received a letter of inquiry, the person told The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment publicly.
So according to ESPN, the SEC had knowledge of phone conversations personally involving Cam Newton and his play-for-pay scheme and the NCAA has not only done nothing about it for 11 months, but hasn’t even sent Auburn a letter of inquiry?
Either what ESPN is reporting is not true, or the SEC and/or NCAA is involved in coverup that has allowed Newton to play this season for Auburn while eligible.
Or we’re talking abject incompetence on the part of the NCAA and/or SEC.
I’ll be very interested to hear what SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has to say about all of this - because the SEC and NCAA’s handling of this situation is just as important as what Newton is being accused of.
If one or both governing bodies knew about Newton phone conversations 11 months ago and still allowed Newton to remain eligible, we’ve got bigger fish to fry than just Newton.
And I do mean fry.
11:10 am on November 10th, 2010
The rabbit hole goes deeper.
This thing has the wheels to blow up the SEC conference if not dealt with immediately. I heard Fed’s have began getting involved.
Can NCAA place sanctions against an entire conference? Everyone knows the SEC has serious hot money flowing in it, but the fact SEC appears to be dismissive of the fact in face of it, is extremely damning, if true.
11:28 am on November 10th, 2010
You give 3 possible explanations, and I agree that everything boils down to these three possibilities. Maybe I’m wrong but I would guess that 90% of the people that have read these articles would go with option 1 (ESPN and Thayer Douchebag reporting lies, or receiving false information and hearsay from MSU or UF) than options 2 and 3. I can understand Auburn wanting to win games and the SEC wanting to continue to clean up their image, but it’s hard for me to believe that the NCAA, SEC, and AU are trying to cover anything up or are acting out of complete incompetence.
12:31 pm on November 10th, 2010
Thamel,Thayer, Forde are known liars.
Forde against Crum and UL in the late 90’s
Thamel - everything he writes (Binghamton, Bledsoe, Kanter, Zook)
Thayer - Was a Thamel associate, nuff said.
These guys should be fired because there are NEVER any verifiable facts in their stories.
Liars Lie…That’s are Media!
12:41 pm on November 10th, 2010
“That’s are media”, says the previous poster. Nuff said.
1:19 pm on November 10th, 2010
At what point will the NCAA step in and actually punish Newton?
1:57 pm on November 10th, 2010
Disgraceful. Go to the Auburn website. They claim to be a to 50 public school. Academically oriented schools don’t pay athletes $250K to play for their football teams then deny it. Seems to me that Auburn has a little brother complex to its rival. The whole SEC is corrupt. Basically semi pro football.
2:08 pm on November 10th, 2010
she say she are the manager
4:25 pm on November 10th, 2010
Are you serious, Dave Koller? I would love to see the facts you’re basing these statements on. You’re just as bad as Thayer, making assumptions and damning people based on allegations by anonymous sources. I could call Thayer and tell him Newton punched me in the face one time and he would write a 5 page report on it calling it facts from an anonymous source. You have no idea whether they ‘pay athletes $250K to play for their football teams then deny it.’ This entire so-called scandal is absurdly vague and should be dismissed as the rumors they are.
9:44 pm on November 10th, 2010
I love it. MSU reports this to the SEC but not the NCAA, knowing the SEC won’t investigate because they are not an “investigatory entity”. Way to stick your neck out MSU.
There’s a reason that Cam didn’t offer his services to the Big Ten, and it’s not because of national championships, heisman trophies, or conference strength. It’s because every Big Ten school would have laughed at him and said GTFO. In the SEC, if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.
10:07 pm on November 10th, 2010
why would the SEC ever report this kind of stuff? everyone but vandy is doing it; they’d all start reporting on each other it’d end up with the entire conference being ineligible and sinking into the ocean.
11:49 pm on November 10th, 2010
Sources tell me Joe Schad is a pedophile
1:21 am on November 11th, 2010
The whole college football (Div. 1) is corrupt. What happens in the SEC is no different than the rest of the mythical BCS conferences. Except maybe for the Big East…they suck and they know they suck.
Come on, pay the players beyond the “scholarships” already. Have D1 hold a playoff already and stop the BS!
I’m a UGA fan and I think we are cheating as well, we’re just not that good at it.
2:19 am on November 11th, 2010
don’t worry SEC fans. we all know that their is not a level playing field for everyone. we all know it takes the NCAA to bring down programs as well as look away from your issues for you to be successful.
12:18 pm on November 11th, 2010
The only thing we know for a fact is Newton does Lie, Cheat, and Steal.
3:21 pm on November 11th, 2010
its funny to listen to the small “neck” BIG10\11 fans pile it on the SEC,…I guess winning 2 Natty’s in the last 40 years will have that effect, huh?……Also, getting beat down in the “Grand Daddy” for most of that time too, doesn’t help.
When the BIG10\11\12 loses, its because some one cheated,…Hey, whatever helps get you through ANOTHER Title-less season, huh?
Some one makes an allegation, and y’all jump on it like its gospel!….too funny. You guys get beat down because you’re just not that good. Newton did little else than pizz of JIm Delaney…like LSU, Florida and Alabama have in the past! If you cant beat the best, tear down their credibility (by jumping on obvious rumor!),…nice motto, “runner-ups”!
12:17 pm on November 12th, 2010
Trouthunter, I’ll take integrity over titles all day long. If that’s “funny to listen to”, then you have bigger problems than defending cheaters.
1:32 pm on December 21st, 2011
Remarkable….and Sankey is the guy who is the self-righteous, hypocritical voice of the NCAA committee which blindsided Ohio State on 12-20-2011.
And, of course, the SEC associate commissioner!