Has this already been discussed? I know UNC was in trouble but did not know USC was staring down the barrell as well.
http://www.gogamecocks.com/2010/09/09/20534/ggf-usc-receives-letter-of-inquiry.htmlThe University of South Carolina received an official letter of inquiry from the NCAA enforcement staff Thursday, potentially turning what has been a player-eligibility issue into a much more serious situation.
The letter, dated Sept. 8, is addressed to school president Harris Pastides and signed by David Price, the NCAA vice president of enforcement. It reads, in part:
“The purpose of this letter is to advise you that the NCAA has begun an investigation into the institution’s football program in accordance with the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 32.5 of the NCAA enforcement procedures. The possible violations primarily involve the matters that the institution and enforcement staff are reviewing in the football program. However, please note that new information often is developed during an investigation that leads to expanded inquiries.â€
NCAA Bylaw 32.5 states: “If the enforcement staff has developed reasonably reliable information indicating that an institution has been in violation of NCAA legislation that requires further investigation, the enforcement staff shall provide a notice of inquiry in writing to the chancellor or president.â€
The letter states that the NCAA hopes to have its investigation completed by the end of the year but that the only requirement from the NCAA’s side is to report its findings at six-month intervals starting Sept. 8.
“It could be days; it could be months,†said Luanne M. Lawrence, the school’s vice president for communications. “At this point, I don’t think we have any idea of the timeline. You are waiting out the process. We are cooperating and going through this process right now.â€
Columbia lawyer Joe McCulloch, who was the university’s attorney for 10 years through the mid-1990s and represented the school in two major NCAA investigations, said the letter raises the stakes for South Carolina.
“It is a step in the enforcement, the investigation process that represents a notch up in the seriousness of it,†said McCulloch, who said he is not involved in the matter.
A source with direct knowledge of NCAA investigations put it more bluntly.
“Normally, (a letter of inquiry) calls into question the need for the university to establish that it has institutional control,†the source told The State.
There are two courses to most NCAA investigations involving player misconduct, according to Stacey Osburn, the NCAA’s associate director for public and media relations.
“There is the process that deals with student-athlete eligibility and having that reinstated, and then there is the process of determining if the school is responsible. In that way, they are two different processes,†Osburn said. “The NCAA continues to work cooperatively with the school to determine their level of responsibility.â€
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, whose No. 24 Gamecocks play host to No. 22 Georgia on Saturday, said after practice Thursday that he was not overly concerned about the letter.
“No, I’m concerned about doing whatever I can to help our team beat Georgia,†he said. “That’s all our players are concerned about.â€
Spurrier also addressed the issue on his radio show Thursday night, saying he hopes to learn by “early Saturday morning†the eligibility of starting cornerback Chris Culliver and starting offensive lineman Jarriel King.
“I have learned that what you say about (NCAA issues) is the same thing you are supposed to say about officiating: You’re not supposed to talk about it,†he said. “The letter had nothing to do with anything coaches did. It was some other areas, I believe, so we’ll let it play its way out.â€
Pastides made his first public comment about the situation Thursday through a statement released by the school.
“I assure our fans and community that we will do what is right for the university. Winning and playing by the rules go hand in hand. And playing by the rules is the only way to win. We will continue to cooperate with the NCAA investigation as we have in the past regarding possible rules violations,†Pastides said in the statement. “While we are working in full cooperation with the NCAA, our expectations have always been that our student-athletes and staff maintain highest NCAA standards.â€
Pastides will have no further comment until the NCAA situation is resolved, Lawrence said.
The NCAA allows USC to request a meeting to discuss the letter but indicates no meeting should be necessary because school officials “are already very familiar with the case.†South Carolina has retained attorney William King III of Birmingham, Ala., to represent it in the case. King works for Lightfoot, Franklin & White, which employs former chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions Gene Marsh. King is one of the country’s most recognized lawyers regarding NCAA compliance matters.
South Carolina has been dealing with NCAA issues with several football players since July. The eligibility of more than 10 players was in question last week, due mostly to their residence at the Whitney Hotel, but only King, Culliver and tight end Weslye Saunders were ruled ineligible for last week’s season opener against Southern Miss.
King and Saunders are known to have stayed at the Whitney, and the NCAA has investigated a trip Saunders allegedly took to Miami during the offseason. Culliver’s suspension stems from insurance he purchased to protect his potential earnings as a pro and how that insurance was paid for.
This is not the school’s first run-in with the NCAA this decade. It wrapped up its most recent case in 2005, losing two scholarships each in 2006 and 2007 and 12 official recruiting visits during that time after the NCAA cited the school for five major violations during the tenure of former coach Lou Holtz. South Carolina’s probation from that episode ended in 2008.
Staff writer Clif LeBlanc contributed to this report. Reach Kendall at (803) 771-8496.
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