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Bryce Brown Under NCAA Investigation

UPDATE:  CBSSports.com has a little bit more information on the subject, directly from Lane Kiffin.  -hooper

The NCAA has just opened up an investigation on Bryce Brown (and 'other players') regarding money that was raised so that they could go to football camps.  At the heart of the investigation is the question of Brown's eligibity for college sports as an amateur - specifically his eligibility for football as a football amateur.

By NCAA rules, you cannot compete in a sport at an NCAA member institution if you have been paid to play in that sport.  (Roughly speaking.)  The idea behind the rule is partly to keep colleges from bringing in ringers and partly to further justify not paying players.  (If it was allowable for paid athletes to play college sports, the NCAA would have a very difficult time not allowing the athletes to get paid for their services in college.)

Without knowing any details, the issues I see here are:

  • Whether camp attendance was considered 'playing the sport' in the NCAA sense of the term.
  • Whether the fundraising for the attendance constituted a payment.
  • Whether any attempt was made to conceal the payments - especially out of a fear of NCAA interest.

If Brown is clear on those points, there really can't be any worries.  I will be very interested to see if they term a football camp 'playing a sport' because that's a broad application of the term

The final detail is that UT is in no way connected with the investigation.  Currently, Brown is still eligible and can still practice with the team.  That alone gives me hope that this is a routine matter and the NCAA is simply clearing the books, but we'll see.

Oh, and did anybody else immediately think "Brian Butler"?

0 recs  |  Comment 11 comments |

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If I understand this correctly (as I think I do)

The NCAA’s argument seems exceptionally strained.

_________________________________
Eric Berry is better at football than you

by kidbourbon on Aug 18, 2009 7:02 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

That's my initial hunch as well.

But I don’t have any details beyond the GVX link. And that’s basically empty as well. But what a pain.

by Hooper on Aug 18, 2009 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I figured this would be over the

cash payments

Eric Berry for sending the guy who wins the Heisman spinning 720 degrees in the air at the podium - or for intercepting it and returning it to where it rightfully belongs

by Graysnail on Aug 18, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Butler . . .

Isn’t excatly an unknown variable, you’d think this would have come up before now.

Amateur status is a serious charge, but luckily for you guys has nada to do with UT in this case.

by MeanBobMean on Aug 19, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

A challenge to his amateur status is very serious

It is also totally meritless. I am not an NCAA requlation lawyer (do these even exist?), but under the following standard, I believe that, even if everything alleged turns out to be true, Bryce Brown is still an amateur.

The NCAA says you are a “professional” if you:

1) Are paid (in any form) or accept the promise of pay for competing in an athletics contest.

2) Sign a contract or verbally commit with an agent or a professional sports organization.

3) Use your athletic skills for pay in any form, i.e., you are paid for an appearance in a TV commercial, exhibition, demonstration or clinic.

4) Participate with a professional team.

5) Participate on an amateur sports team (club or National Team) and receive any salary, incentive payment, award, gratuity, educational expenses or expense allowances (other than competition and training apparel, equipment, and actual and necessary travel, room and board expenses).

_________________________________
Eric Berry is better at football than you

by kidbourbon on Aug 19, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

By him still being on the practice field

nothing to see here…Move along

Lane Train Is Coming....Get On...Or Get Run Over
V,B

by T4TN on Aug 18, 2009 7:16 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Completely ridiculous

but that’s the NCAA for you. Completely ridiculous.

btw, to the Bama fans – we enjoy ripping you – and there are so many more substantive things to rip you about – but the NCAA’s handling of the textbook thing is pretty silly as well.

by memphispete on Aug 18, 2009 9:28 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Heh, gramsey, it must be a bad day for fishin'

but they may be mollified because I’m agreeing with them on their latest probation/NCAA punitive experience.

And, oh by the way, I vacate from the office, but I do not vacate wins.

by memphispete on Aug 19, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Will this make The Lead

on SportsCenter? I don’t know what to think of this. I’m not surprised. I’m not worried. They have nothing on UTK especially if this goes back to his soph year.

by ChattVol on Aug 18, 2009 10:24 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't really have an opinion on this

I don’t know why the NCAA is doing this now all of a sudden, but oh well, we didn’t do anything, so I’ll just sit back and watch

Tennessee WILL beat Georgia on the way to 9+ wins in '09!!!
Eric Berry For Heisman!!!

by VolBrian on Aug 19, 2009 11:27 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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