LSU Football Recruiting Violations!

[LSUDad]

The NCAA has announced penalties for LSU and a former assistant coach who committed recruiting violations.

James Cregg, the former LSU offensive line coach who was fired in June 2021, violated NCAA recruiting dead period rules in 2020 by having close contact with a prospect and his family, providing impermissible benefits.

The NCAA’s announcement is widely seen as good news for LSU. The program’s self-imposed penalties have been accepted, with the NCAA tacking on 1 year of probation for LSU. The $5,000 fine self-imposed by LSU certainly pales in comparison to Cregg’s salary, which may not need to be paid as the Level II violation could qualify as cause for termination.

Cregg, who filed a suit last year over his firing, now has a 3-year show cause.

Here are the NCAA’s announced measuresagainst both parties:

• One year of probation.
• A $5,000 fine (self-imposed).
• A limit of official visits for football to 55 during the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
• A one-week prohibition against unofficial visits in the football program prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
• A one-week prohibition against recruiting communications in the football program prior to the start of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
• A reduction of seven evaluation days in the football program during the fall 2021 evaluation period (self-imposed).
• A three-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach. During that period, any NCAA member school employing him must restrict him from any off-campus recruiting activities unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.

The Division I Committee on Infractions panel released a statement on its decision:

“Although the [committee] has encountered more egregious conduct in past cases, the violations in this case represent intentional misconduct that should be of concern to the membership,” the panel said in its decision. “The COVID-19 recruiting dead period was intended to protect the health and safety of prospects, student-athletes and institutional staff. It also leveled the playing field for recruiting at a time when government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions varied across the country.”

The LSU NCAA case involving former basketball coach Will Wade’s program is a separate matter.

[Herb]

I am still trying to figure out what the actual penalties mean.

The show-cause penalty is not against LSU but against James Cregg - that looks like it is the most serious sanction. Taking the others from LSUDad's post:

• One year of probation. Not sure what this means? What is the exact imposition? Is it just "stay clean for a year"?
• A $5,000 fine (self-imposed). I assume already paid.
• A limit of official visits for football to 55 during the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed). Okay, I get this one...kind of self-explanatory.
• A one-week prohibition against unofficial visits in the football program prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).  That one week has already passed, so this was already served the 1st week of the academic year (was that the beginning of Summer classes or fall classes?)
• A one-week prohibition against recruiting communications in the football program prior to the start of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed). Same answer as above - already served.
• A reduction of seven evaluation days in the football program during the fall 2021 evaluation period (self-imposed). Already served - Fall of 2021 was a year ago.

So...we pay $5K, spend a year in detention after school, and limit the number of official visits to 55 this year (how many official visits do we usually have?).

Cregg meanwhile is somewhat toxic for any other university to hire him for a few years.

Every major media story has to blow this WAY out of proportion by tying this to Will Wade, OBJ making it rain at the Natty, and some $h!thead that stole  money from a charity.

Hopefully this helps LSU in their appeal to not having to pay Cregg $400,000.00 because it shows he actually was fired for cause.

[Herb]

Here is an example of the media blowing this out of proportion:

un

LSU is NOT in hot water over this.  The NCAA admitted in their finding that this was a very minor infraction and that there are schools out there that did worse.  The punishment was more severe than the fractions warranted only because this happened during the height Covid pandemic.

I think the good news for LSU is that this was NOT lumped into any infractions Will Wade may have brought to the university. 

[Hatchertiger]

I feel sorry for people who blindly believe what the media puts out there.  We no longer have a free press. Its all about spin and money. I personally don't pay attention to any of it.  And Herb is spot on.

[Nutriaitch]

On 9/22/2022 at 10:18 PM, Herb said:

I am still trying to figure out what the actual penalties mean.

The show-cause penalty is not against LSU but against James Cregg - that looks like it is the most serious sanction. Taking the others from LSUDad's post:

correct. Show cause always follows the individual involved.  This was implemented a few years ago because many times the guilty party was no longer employed at that school and wasn't actually punished.

On 9/22/2022 at 10:18 PM, Herb said:

• One year of probation. Not sure what this means? What is the exact imposition? Is it just "stay clean for a year"?

also correct.  think of t like being on driving probation after a ticket.
if you don't get another ticket, no big deal. We'll just move on e and forget this ever happened.

get another one while on probation? 
ok, now you get penalized for BOTH.

On 9/22/2022 at 10:18 PM, Herb said:

• A $5,000 fine (self-imposed). I assume already paid.

this number has to be a joke, right?

the time and effort to type that out on paper cost more than what 5 grand means to a billion dollar corporation like LSU.

On 9/22/2022 at 10:18 PM, Herb said:

 

Cregg meanwhile is somewhat toxic for any other university to hire him for a few years.

Hopefully this helps LSU in their appeal to not having to pay Cregg $400,000.00 because it shows he actually was fired for cause.

 

correct, but let's be completely honest here. Cregg got a raw deal if I'm remembering this story correctly Fish can probably give better details than me).

a recruit led him to believe that he was going to sign at LSU as an early enrollee.
the rules for an early enrollee is different than they are for guys not coming until the fall.

Cregg followed the rules of recruiting an early enrollee for LSU.
Kid actually early signed with Clemson making the contact with Cregg illegal

 

 

 

 

[Nutriaitch]

On 9/23/2022 at 6:20 AM, Herb said:

I think the good news for LSU is that this was NOT lumped into any infractions Will Wade may have brought to the university. 

those are still to come.

LSU football does however need to thank the lord above that the NCAA did not lump everything together or we definitely would have been slapped with LOIC.

OLOL embezzlement stuff
Odell Beckham being a colossal dumbass
The Cregg stuff
Will Wade's "strong ass offer"

treating all 3 separately and not tying anything together is a huge break for us.

Basketball may get hit hard, but they appear to be letting football skate a little.

 

[Herb]

7 hours ago, Nutriaitch said:

treating all 3 separately and not tying anything together is a huge break for us.

This was the biggest "silver lining" glean. I hope it holds true...it was one of the 1st thoughts that came to mind.

[Herb]

Bumping this thread as I feel that the violations Cregg committed were almost identical to what Jim Harbaugh essentially did.

Cregg got a 3 year show cause penalty and LSU self-imposed sanctions of limiting official recruiting visits to 55 for 2022-2023 and paid a $5,000.00 fine.  Cregg's violations were:
 

• Violated rules such as having in-person contact during a dead period (during the pandemic when in-person contact was not allowed).
• Provided the prospect used LSU gear.

I think this was for a single recruit.

 

Harbaugh's violations:

• Met with two recruits during a period when that clearly wasn’t allowed (during the pandemic, during the same period of Cregg's violations).
• Texting a recruit outside of an allowable time period.
• Harbaugh bought recruits hamburgers.
• Harbaugh lied to NCAA investigators about the above infractions.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh gets only a 4 game suspension for 4 games against powder puff teams.

Why not a show cause against Harbaugh also?  Because Michigan is a "blue blood" program and there are apparently different sets of standards depending on what university commits infractions.

[Hatchertiger]

I have never been a Jim Harbaugh fan. Its the lying that I have an issue with especially when he is telling people how difficult it was to compete with the "cheaters" kinda like ole Hugh Freeze:

Quote

Jeff Arnold of Forbes reviewed John U. Bacon's book Overtime: Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines at the Crossroads of College Football and revealed the Michigan coach said, "[It's] hard to beat the cheaters" when discussing recruiting against SEC schools.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2850667-michigan-hc-jim-harbaugh-its-hard-to-beat-the-cheaters-in-sec-at-recruiting