Another SEC West “if you ain’t cheatin'” story

This one sounds like it’s gonna leave a mark.

Bo Davis is expected to leave his position as assistant football coach at the University of Alabama over an inquiry into possible recruiting violations, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. Davis is expected to resign or be fired from his job.

UA has been conducting an internal investigation and the NCAA has also made inquiries into the matter.

If you’re Alabama, it’s the ripple effect you really have to be concerned about… who else knew, when did it happen, for how long, etc.

Finebaum should be epic tomorrow.

Only Les Miles…

… would make a hype video about unlimited texting to recruits.

It’s good to see someone who enjoys his work.  Have I mentioned that the man is a national treasure?

Sankey’s gonna Sankey.

Oh, puh-leeze.

The SEC reacted to Thursday’s news by releasing a statement in which commissioner Greg Sankey both re-affirmed the conference’s position and the fact that its schools would now be free to join in the satellite camps.

“While we are disappointed with the NCAA governance process result, we respect the Board of Directors’ decision and are confident SEC football programs will continue to be highly effective in their recruiting efforts,” Sankey said. “We continue to believe football recruiting is primarily an activity best-focused in high schools during the established recruiting calendar, which has provided opportunities for football prospective student-athletes from all across the country to obtain broad national access and exposure but with appropriate guidance from high school coaches, teachers and advisors that focuses on both their academic and athletic opportunities as they decide where they will play college football.

“SEC coaches will be allowed to engage in summer camps as a result of Conference legislation approved during the 2015 SEC Spring Meetings.”

If you really believe your approach to satellite camps is best for all concerned, then why lift the ban?

That was a rhetorical question, in case you’re wondering.

Chaos!

Department of Justice 1, SEC 0.

NCAA Board of Directors rescinds ban on satellite camps, source tells @ESPN

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) April 28, 2016

Guess Kirby’d better get his satellite camp plans dusted off.  You know Bert’s raring to go.

Oh, and I hope Hugh Freeze posts his teary farewell to his family as he hits the road to do his job.  Oh, the humanity!

**************************************************************************

UPDATE:  The SEC prepares to unleash itself upon an unsuspecting world.

Confirmed that, without a national ban, the SEC's ban on satellite camps will be lifted on May 29.

— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) April 28, 2016

**************************************************************************

UPDATE #2:  Of course…

3 #SEC coaches talked with since ruling said their schools going to go ahead with plans of #satellitecamps but all think waste of time.

— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) April 28, 2016

I’d love to hear somebody in the media ask Greg Sankey about that.

“One thing they can’t teach him to be is 6-7 and 340.”

I’ll say it again:  one thing I love about Smart’s new approach at Georgia is how aggressive he is about beefing up the walk-on program.

Smart is targeting the best available players in the state not only to bring on board on scholarship but to get the best ones remaining as walk-ons.

“I’ve always thought Georgia should have the best walk-on program in the country,” he said. “Why not? You’ve got the HOPE (scholarship). You’ve got great high school football. Every kid in the state dreams of coming to Georgia. So why shouldn’t you have the best walk-on program in the country? Because a lot of those kids develop to be special teams players, to be starters.”

Can’t argue with that one bit.

“Once all the pieces are in place”? Whatever you say, man.

Let me just state for the record that if this dude is correct in his projection about Georgia’s offensive line, you can put me down for a 10-win season right now.

One is more than none.

Let’s say for the sake of argument you think the satellite camp ban was enacted in haste by the NCAA and does in fact interfere with some recruits’ ability to be seen by football programs.  Let’s say even further that if you’re a student-athlete, you’re probably more sensitive to the issue than, say, Greg Sankey.

If so, the make up of the bunch on the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors reviewing the ban today ought to give you the warm and fuzzies:  Twenty chief executive officers, one director of athletics, one senior woman administrator, one faculty athletics representative and – wait for it – one student-athlete.

Ain’t having a real voice in governance grand?