Eligible, Not Eligible: The Cam Newton Investigation and the New NCAA/Cecil Newton Jobs Program

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Chris Fusco

While the FBI and state investigations are continuing, the NCAA took it upon itself to rush to a decision concerning the Cam Newton pay-for-play fiasco.  The NCAA concluded that Cecil Newton tried to broker his son's football services for $180,000 to Mississippi State.  But NCAA concluded that there is no evidence "at this time" that Cam was involved in the scheme.  As a result, Cam Newton is eligible to play for Auburn in the SEC title game on Saturday.

Here's, the major problem and potential disaster for amateur sports from the NCAA's haste, the NCAA has turned any ill-minded parent of a star athlete into an immediate sports agent.  If a parent (or any person really) can deliver a star athlete for a price then there is no downside as long as the student "doesn't know."  If the parent gets caught then oh well, the kid gets to play anyway.  If the parent doesn't get caught then the athlete's family can have a nice pay day.  This loophole, created by the NCAA, means there are new "agents" all over college sports.

While it does seem unfair for a innocent student athlete to lose eligibility, the NCAA is no stranger to harsh outcomes.  Is it fair to an entire team when a school violates rules and championships get wiped out ?  Is it fair to athletes at a school when scholarships and bowl eligibility are cancelled (see USC)?  No, it isn't.  But sometimes the greater good of the game has to be protected from a unsavory situation, like the Cam Newton case.
 
I don't know about you but I am still troubled by the fact that Newton didn't go to Mississippi State.  Why? What happened to make him go to Auburn?  Apparently, the NCAA doesn't think its important enough to find out the reason.
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