Ole Miss, when you find yourself spending more than 20 minutes explaining your response to the latest round of NCAA’s Notice of Allegations, you’re losing.
These are the three allegations the school won’t challenge
1. The first allegation – it is alleged that a prospective student-athlete (Prospective Student-Athlete A) went hunting near campus on private land owned by a booster during his official visit in 2013 and on two or three occasions after he enrolled, and that the access to this land was arranged by the football program. This has been alleged as a Level III violation.
2. The second allegation – it is alleged that between March 2014 and January 2015, a former staff member (Former Staff Member A) impermissibly arranged for recruiting inducements in the form of lodging and transportation for one prospective student-athlete (Prospective Student-Athlete B) (who enrolled at another institution) and his companions on several visits to campus and for the impermissible transportation of another prospective student-athlete (Prospective Student-Athlete C) on one occasion. The total value of the lodging and/or transportation between the two prospective student-athletes is alleged to be $2,272. It is also alleged that the football program provided approximately $235 in free meals to Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution) and Prospective Student-Athlete C and the friends of Prospective Student-Athlete B during recruiting visits in this same timeframe. The allegation is alleged as a Level I violation.
3. Third, it is alleged that Former Staff Member A violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he knowingly committed NCAA recruiting violations between March 2014 and February 2015 and when he knowingly provided false or misleading information to the institution and enforcement staff in 2016. This is charged as a Level I violation.
Then, there’s one the school may or may not challenge.
4. In the fourth allegation, it is alleged that between April 2014 and February 2015, Former Staff Member A initiated and facilitated two boosters having impermissible contact with Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution). It is further alleged that these two boosters provided Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution) with impermissible cash payments during that timeframe and that Former Staff Member A knew about the cash payments. The value of the alleged inducements according to the NCAA is between $13,000 and $15,600. This is charged as a Level I violation.
The rest they intend to fight.
5. Allegation number five – It is alleged that one former staff member (Former Staff Member B) arranged for a friend of the family of Prospective Student-Athlete D to receive impermissible merchandise from a store owned by a booster on one occasion in 2013 and that Former Staff Member A arranged for Prospective Student-Athletes B and E (both student-athletes enrolled at another institution) to receive merchandise in 2014, 15, and 16. The value of the alleged impermissible recruiting inducements is approximately $2,800 and is charged as a Level I violation.
6. Number six – It is alleged and we will contest that, in 2014 a current football coach had impermissible, in-person, off-campus contact with Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution). This allegation is charged as a Level III violation.
7. Allegation seven – It is alleged that a booster provided money, food and drinks to Prospective Student-Athlete B (who enrolled at another institution) and his companions at the booster’s restaurant on two-to-three unspecified dates between March 2014 and January 2015. The value of the alleged inducements is between $200 and $600. This allegation is charged as a Level I violation that we will contest.
8. Another Allegation that we will contest is number eight – It is alleged that the head football coach violated head coach responsibility legislation. This allegation is not based upon personal involvement in violations by Coach Freeze but because he is presumed responsible for the allegation involving his staff that occurred between October 2012 and January 2016. Although we disagree, according to the NCAA, Coach Freeze has not rebutted the presumption that he is responsible for his staff’s actions. This is charged as a Level I violation.
9. Finally, allegation nine – It is alleged that the scope and nature of the violations demonstrate that the university lacked institutional control and failed to monitor the conduct and administration of its athletics program. This charge replaces the more limited failure to monitor charge in the January 2016 Notice of Allegations. This is charged as a Level I violation that we will contest.
The last two are the real killers. If you want the Cliff’s Notes version, Ole Miss is about to get seriously hammered.
To give you a rough idea of how serious this has gotten for the school, Ole Miss’ starting position is a self-imposed postseason ban for 2017. There’s real money tied to that, too.
I bet there are a few tweets Bjork and Freeze wish they could have back now. Have fun on the recruiting trail with this, fellas. On the bright side, none of it has anything to do with Tunsil. Stepdad must have made a helluva convincing witness.
I’m sure Greg Sankey’s a happy commissioner right now. It would serve the SEC right if Ole Miss won the West this season.
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UPDATE: Best complaint ever.
Get The Picture 
Sending a communication to Freeze to let him know of NCAA allegations of cheating that I now know have occurred by him and his staff and with the school’s blessing and support. This will be in reply to his request last year to do so if we are aware of anything that was against the rules.
Sclabach is on top of this thing and I can’t wait to read his input overnight.
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Do we get a cut of the $7.8 they forfeit? Bathroom upgrades on the way!
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That money will have to be added to our overall revenue collection and allocated appropriately. Considering the recent and upcoming expansion of expenditures for football, this money would most likely be used in other areas of athletics (and yes, the reserve fund is an integral part of our athletic program here at UGA).
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Greg,
Once again, you are missing the point entirely.
Because Mississippi will not be participating in a bowl game, your university will be missing out on your share of the annual bowl revenue normally generated by Mississippi.
My recommendation is to limit your loss and announce that your university will serve the penalty on Mississippi’s behalf. After all, it was your university who was recruiting these very same players. By doing so, you will eliminate your bowl expenses and effectively mitigate your bowl revenue gap. You will be lauded for your bold leadership by your university’s Foundation and by the rest of the conference.
Your friend and mentor,
Jeremy
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Great to hear from you Jeremy. That course of action is actually already being discussed (you sure do know The Georgia Way, LOL). We could really improve our standing with the NCAA and SEC if we take such honorable and noble action (it certainly wouldn’t hurt our quest for 100% noon kickoffs!).
Take care friend. I hope I’m half the mentor to Carla that you’ve been to me.
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Keep The Georgia Way legacy strong, Greg.
You still have a lot of fans here at Florida.
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Hey, if you ever see anything we are doing wrong, just let us know, or shut up. Words to remember. Words to come back and bite you in the ass.
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Athlete B, what school outbid Ole Miss?
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The Barn?
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Probably ended up at JUCO
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The post season ban should only apply if ole miss is eligible for post season play.
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That is what Freeze is banking on. The Rebs/Bears aren’t going to a bowl this year anyway so he is giving up nothing.
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Serious question. How long can one laugh about this before inviting carma?
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I, for one, am going to enjoy every second of this.
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Go ahead and laugh. Karma ain’t so bad.
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LOL. Bad karma not carma….damn iPad + fat fingers. I can’t stop laughing at that video.
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Respect Karma. Remember Jan Kemp.
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Jan Kemp
American academic
Jan H. Kemp (March 13, 1949 – December 4, 2008) was an American academic and English tutor who exposed the bias in passing college football players and filed a lawsuit against the University of Georgia.
Born in Griffin, Georgia, Kemp earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a doctorate in English education from the University of Georgia. She began teaching at her alma mater in 1978. In 1981 Kemp was one of the teachers who complained claiming that Georgia officials had intervened allowing nine college football players to pass a remedial English course, allowing them to play against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship in 1981.
Kemp was demoted in 1982 and dismissed one year later. She then filed a lawsuit claiming she had been fired due to her complaints about the passing of players. During the time after she was dismissed Kemp tried to commit suicide twice. The University defended its actions saying that Kemp was dismissed for “disruptive conduct and for failure to conduct adequate scholarly research.”[1]
The jury found the University liable for the illegal dismissal of Kemp and she was awarded $2.5 million, which was later reduced to $1.08 million. Kemp was reinstated and University President Fred C. Davison resigned. After the trial Kemp spoke to The New York Times, saying, “All over the country, athletes are used to produce revenue. I’ve seen what happens when the lights dim and the crowd fades. They’re left with nothing. I want that stopped.” Kemp retired from teaching in 1990 and was named a hero of the 1980s by People magazine.
Kemp died on December 4, 2008, at the age of 59. Her son stated that she had died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She is survived by her son and daughter.
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You forgot to mention that Jan Kemp was jailed for contempt of court for over a year. At any time she could have purged herself of the contempt by paying back child support to her ex-husband (she lost custody of her children in a contested divorce) but consciously refused to so. Jan Kemp was a nut who has been undeservedly lionized.
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So when does the NCAA get to the Tunsil stuff?
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So, the draft night / Tunsil stuff made the NCAA investigate further and deeper. During the investigation they come up with new info andthese new charges, but NOT Tunsil admitting to taking money or the texts asking for more money for mom. I’m confused.
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I told the NCAA I texted “pray for him”, not “pay for him”. It was a typo.
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Tonight’s forecast…a freeze is coming!
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Damn Hugh! I was in the process of getting on my knees to pray–then I saw your text. Hell, I had to go to the ATM and withdraw the max I could get. I didn’t want the kid to think our program was cheap you know. Now you tell me you wanted prayer, what I was going to do all along. Can I get my money back now? I want all those other payments I made to all those other kids back, too.
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I’ve seen people in hostage videos look more at ease than Hugh Freeze appeared in that statement.
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Does anything happen to athlete B who obviously received impermissible benefits?
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It’s likely the NCAA offered him immunity if he provided testimony against Ole Miss.
Sure would like to know which school he’s at now, though.
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me too
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Has to be more coming on Tunsil. Common knowledge in his hometown and teachers that’s he got paid to flip. Substantial $$$$
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Hugh.. Bless your heart..
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“Consistent with our core values, we must take responsibility for what has recently occurred.” Who knew they had core values in Oxford? Ole Miss Football, RIP…
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Looks like somebody forwarded an email to Freeze after all.
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Anyone else see Chris Kiffin’s fingerprints all over this?
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