Author Topic: College Corruption Case Poised to Take Hall of Fame Coaches, Top Programs, etc.  (Read 14378 times)

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Offline Kuberski33

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Technically it's amateur athletics - and there's some corruption - so what, it's been going on forever.. But I think the real story here is the corruption of the American higher education system.

These schools are supposed to be institutions of higher learning preparing kids for their adult lives on one hand and on the other they're allowing this stuff to go on with their athletic departments - looking the other way on bribes, students (athletes) being bought and sold like they're products, athletes being shuffled to 'advisors' who don't necessarily have their best interests at heart, and a joke being made of the term 'student/athlete' - all so they can have athletic teams that help promote the school and ultimately attract students who fund their bottom line. 

Meanwhile the cost of attending these schools for regular students skyrockets and they get saddled with debt that stays with them for years. You can't really even declare bankruptcy to escape it.

The schools make tons of money, the administrators make tons of money, there's lots of shady activity, the NBA gets a free training ground for future players (such as it is at the present time) - and the ones getting screwed are the kids who attend the school as students, pay for the privilege and windup thousands and thousands of dollars in debt.

This FBI thing is kind of like a door finally being opened so people can look inside only this time the dirt can't be pushed under the carpet by the NCAA.


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I do think that such acts are illegal. At the same time, I wish the FBI would finish every important case that they have before they start down this rabbit hole.

I agree. Using three years of FBI resources on this seems like a decision based upon publicity, rather than advancing the best interests of the public.


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Offline green_bballers13

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The schools make tons of money, the administrators make tons of money, there's lots of shady activity, the NBA gets a free training ground for future players (such as it is at the present time) - and the ones getting screwed are the kids who attend the school as students, pay for the privilege and windup thousands and thousands of dollars in debt.


I agree that there appears to be some type of market dislocation re: college. It really shouldn't cost $100-200k to get a bachelor's degree. I think the FBI could try a case for 20 years before even thinking about the cost of education for normal people. IMO this, like so many other things, will be an issue that will be kicked down the road for future generations to deal with.

Ayton, Miller, and Arizona are done for the year. Shaq's kid just decommitted. I'm sure this will hurt Arizona for a couple years, but let's be honest: they'll be back. Other programs will continue to bribe to get the best talent.

Paying Ayton $100k is over the line. Too much money to be considered even close to reasonable for some type of recruiting trip.

Flying in recruits and their families, putting them up at a decent hotel and taking them all out to nice restaurants seems like a decent guideline for recruiting. The issue is that many top athletes have already unofficially signed with agents while in AAU, and those agents go to work to prove their worth to their young clients. It's a competitive enterprise and college basketball coaches are ruthless.

It's going to take intensive government monitoring to stop these actions.

Offline tarheelsxxiii

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Sean Miller's immediate portrait as the Fall Guy for massive organizational corrupt is pretty funny right now.
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Offline KingChre

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But you can't pay just football and basketball players and not the other sports.  It is illegal.  So any change in the system has to affect all sports.  That said the football and men's basketball players are around 70%, still above the regular population, but much closer to it.  Of course there are plenty of reasons for that.  Obviously, many end up leaving early to pursue a professional career (that happens in other fields as well, like music, drama, computer programming, etc. but it is less common).  Those two sports are also often comprised of a much larger percentage of people that if not for the sport would not be in college at all as a result of their upbringing, financial capability, etc. 

The simple reality is the structure of playing a college sport, needing to remain eligible to do so, and the institutional support provided for that purpose (i.e. scholarships, tutors, etc.) yield a far higher percentage of graduates than the regular population.

It's a very simple solution. They apply the Olympic model. The schools do not pay the athletes anything other than the scholarship money. It doesn't violate Title IX. Yes boosters will pay the athletes, but they already do. The athletes will be able to get paid on whatever the free market determines their value to be. Just like literally every other field, and nobody has a problem with it.

It's completely and utterly ridiculous that the FBI is involved with this. Where is the moral crisis here? These athletes are being paid because they are good at what they do. Nothing wrong with that at all.
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Online Moranis

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I still haven't figured out what the actual crime is and why the fbi cares

Bribes across state lines?
I don't see that as bribes though and certainly not in an illegal or dishonest manner.

A coach at a state school is paid tens of thousands of dollars by an agent to direct athletes to that agent’s agency.  This is contrary to school and NCAA rules.

How is that not a bribe? Any time you’re paying off a government official to give you an impermissible benefit, it’s bribery.
the story thus week was the players getting paid by agents. That is not illegal nor a bribe
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I still haven't figured out what the actual crime is and why the fbi cares

Bribes across state lines?
I don't see that as bribes though and certainly not in an illegal or dishonest manner.

A coach at a state school is paid tens of thousands of dollars by an agent to direct athletes to that agent’s agency.  This is contrary to school and NCAA rules.

How is that not a bribe? Any time you’re paying off a government official to give you an impermissible benefit, it’s bribery.
the story thus week was the players getting paid by agents. That is not illegal nor a bribe

You asked about why the FBI was involved. The story that has been out for months involves assistant coaches taking money to secure clients. That’s clear bribery.

Is it illegal for a government official to funnel $100k to a prospect?  I don’t know enough about the law, but I suspect the legality depends on where the money comes from.


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Offline Granath

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Oh the justice if Duke got busted.  The most coddled team in college basketball by the media and refs getting busted?  ESPN wouldn't know what to do.

That you're hoping that a program with no allegations against it is somehow found dirty says a lot about you.

But nothing good.
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Oh the justice if Duke got busted.  The most coddled team in college basketball by the media and refs getting busted?  ESPN wouldn't know what to do.

That you're hoping that a program with no allegations against it is somehow found dirty says a lot about you.

But nothing good.

Don’t make it personal, please.

At the same time, the NCAA has already cleared Carter for the expenses listed in the report (a $100 Longhorn dinner his mom attended).


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Online Moranis

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I still haven't figured out what the actual crime is and why the fbi cares

Bribes across state lines?
I don't see that as bribes though and certainly not in an illegal or dishonest manner.

A coach at a state school is paid tens of thousands of dollars by an agent to direct athletes to that agent’s agency.  This is contrary to school and NCAA rules.

How is that not a bribe? Any time you’re paying off a government official to give you an impermissible benefit, it’s bribery.
the story thus week was the players getting paid by agents. That is not illegal nor a bribe

You asked about why the FBI was involved. The story that has been out for months involves assistant coaches taking money to secure clients. That’s clear bribery.

Is it illegal for a government official to funnel $100k to a prospect?  I don’t know enough about the law, but I suspect the legality depends on where the money comes from.
a lot of the schools are private though, but yeah a government official couldn't serve as a middle man for money, but if the government official never actually touches the money it is a closer case. 
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Offline tazzmaniac

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I still haven't figured out what the actual crime is and why the fbi cares

Bribes across state lines?
I don't see that as bribes though and certainly not in an illegal or dishonest manner.

A coach at a state school is paid tens of thousands of dollars by an agent to direct athletes to that agent’s agency.  This is contrary to school and NCAA rules.

How is that not a bribe? Any time you’re paying off a government official to give you an impermissible benefit, it’s bribery.
the story thus week was the players getting paid by agents. That is not illegal nor a bribe

You asked about why the FBI was involved. The story that has been out for months involves assistant coaches taking money to secure clients. That’s clear bribery.

Is it illegal for a government official to funnel $100k to a prospect?  I don’t know enough about the law, but I suspect the legality depends on where the money comes from.
a lot of the schools are private though, but yeah a government official couldn't serve as a middle man for money, but if the government official never actually touches the money it is a closer case.
Don't see why that would be a closer case.  If they have recorded conversations and bank transfer records, it is easier to prove.  Even if the coach didn't directly take money, the coach gains a lot of benefit from getting top players on his team. 

Offline More Banners

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Oh the justice if Duke got busted.  The most coddled team in college basketball by the media and refs getting busted?  ESPN wouldn't know what to do.

That you're hoping that a program with no allegations against it is somehow found dirty says a lot about you.

But nothing good.

Go easy. Might've just went to Carolina or some other rival. Lot of Duke haters.

Heck, I had a punk lieutenant in the army that went to Duke, and that was enough for me.

Online Moranis

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I still haven't figured out what the actual crime is and why the fbi cares

Bribes across state lines?
I don't see that as bribes though and certainly not in an illegal or dishonest manner.

A coach at a state school is paid tens of thousands of dollars by an agent to direct athletes to that agent’s agency.  This is contrary to school and NCAA rules.

How is that not a bribe? Any time you’re paying off a government official to give you an impermissible benefit, it’s bribery.
the story thus week was the players getting paid by agents. That is not illegal nor a bribe

You asked about why the FBI was involved. The story that has been out for months involves assistant coaches taking money to secure clients. That’s clear bribery.

Is it illegal for a government official to funnel $100k to a prospect?  I don’t know enough about the law, but I suspect the legality depends on where the money comes from.
a lot of the schools are private though, but yeah a government official couldn't serve as a middle man for money, but if the government official never actually touches the money it is a closer case.
Don't see why that would be a closer case.  If they have recorded conversations and bank transfer records, it is easier to prove.  Even if the coach didn't directly take money, the coach gains a lot of benefit from getting top players on his team.
It is a closer case on whether or not it is an actual crime because an agent or booster giving a player money isn't a crime. 
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Offline nickagneta

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Funny how all the "thorough" school initiated compliance investigations that took merely hours to finish from when the news broke on the players, found every player eligible to play. I'm guessing they went something like this:

Compliance officer: Did you do anything wrong?

Player: Nope.

Compliance officer: You're cleared.

Offline mef730

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Ayton clearly isn't trustworthy. No way that guy should be drafted in the top 26 picks.

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