Report: Auburn Tigers Coaches Bribed Players, Altered Grades on National Championship Team
By Josh Sanchez
There is a damning report coming out from former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts that has troubling news about the Auburn Tigers team led by Gene Chizik that went on to win the BCS National Championship following the 2010 season. Among the details in Roberts report on Roopstigo.com, Auburn’s football program changed players’ grades to secure eligibility and even offered money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior seasons.
There were reportedly as many as nine players that would have been ineligible for Auburn’s appearance in the national title game, but the school found a way to make those athletes eligible.
“We thought we would be without (running back) Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible,” former Auburn defensive lineman Mike Blanc told Roberts in her report.
The report expanded to say that players would be offered “several thousands of dollars” to stay at the school instead of entering the draft.
Players also told Roberts that coaches would give them up to $500 to entertain recruits, though the NCAA limits such funds to $50 per recruit.
Former defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was also named in the report by former player Mike McNeil who had passed along some money to players.
“I had no clue what it was about because I’d never directly asked him for anything,” McNell told Roberts. “He slid about $400 over to me. He went into a drawer and gave me money and said, ‘Is this enough? Is this good?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’m good.'”
All of the accusations occurred under Gene Chizik, who was fired last season.
It will be interesting to see how the NCAA handles these accusations and what type of punishment they will hand down to the Auburn program if the allegations are true. It could be a very troubling time for Tigers fans if all of this proves to be fact and the hammer comes down on the program.
How do you think the NCAA should handle the accusations? Should the Auburn program be worried about the troubles to come? Sound off in the comments section and let us hear your thoughts.