I don’t understand: Why did the SEC hit LSU with recruiting violations?

I’ve been looking at this for a while now, and I still can’t understand why LSU was hit with recruiting violations fines by the SEC. According to the SEC, LSU prospect Matt Womack signed a financial aid agreement with the Tigers, only to back out of the deal, de-commit, and go to Alabama instead. Because there had been an arrangement where recruits who signed a financial aid agreement with a school could be contacted by that school on an unlimited fashion (yeah, we’re confused right here!), LSU obviously contacted Womack heavily….and now he’s gone to Tuscaloosa, the SEC found that that contact had been illegal. Illegal why? Because a financial aid agreement’s not the same as a National Letter of

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Miami rats out Florida for recruiting violation, Gators win

The NCAA said today that Florida had been investigated for a recruiting violation involving former wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, but would not face sanctions. Although the NCAA did not mention Phillips, it did note that a ‘former Florida assistant coach’ visited a Florida prospect off-campus before the NCAA rules allowed for contact, adding that the Gators had suspended the assistant coach in question (Phillips resigned in June, incidentally), and that the “corrective actions and penalties self-imposed by the school were appropriate and assigned no additional penalties or measures.” The full statement from the NCAA is here. What is also interesting – and was noted in an Orlando Sentinel report, is that the NCAA’s investigation was prompted by the University

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Georgia, UNC to meet in 2016 Kick-Off Classic

Georgia and UNC are to meet in the 2016 Kick-Off Classic at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Obviously, it’s great news for the Dawgs for what will effectively be another home game, but it also does both parties’ strength-of-schedules of a favor as they go for a College Football Play-Off spot. The game will be played September 3rd, 2016 in the Georgia Dome. This year’s Kick-Off Classic will feature Auburn and Louisville, which promises to be low on defense and heavy on points. The last time both sides got together was 1971, with Georgia winning 7-3 in Jacksonville. Georgia’s on a four-game winning streak. The current series stands at 16-12-2.  

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LSU grabs Georgia WR coach

LSU has nabbed Georgia wide receivers coach Tony Ball, the school confirmed in a statement. Ball had spent nine years at Georgia as running backs coach then wide receivers coach, and will take on one of the best wide receiving corps in the nation. Ball comes in after LSU lost Adam Henry – the former player in that position – to the San Francisco 49ers. Henry coached Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry, who have both made excellent NFL rookies. Unfortunately for LSU, one of the best wide receiving corps in the country came last season with two awful quarterbacks in Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris. He’ll get a pay raise at LSU – he’s making $267,000 in Baton Rouge.

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Roquan Smith commits to UGA

Roquan Smith has committed to being a Georgia Bulldog. The Macon, GA linebacker had said that he was going to be going to UCLA at National Signing Day, but after the Pac-12 team’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, had lied to him about taking the Atlanta Falcons DC’s job, he decided to revisit his options. He re-opened his commitments, looking at Georgia, UCLA, Michigan and Texas A&M, but eventually opted to play in the SEC. “As you could imagine it’s been tough lately,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. “But I am relieved to say that I am officially committed to The University Of Georgia 100 percent.” Smith signed a financial aid agreement but not a letter of intent,

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Why the SEC Network should make SEC Films

After the news of the tragic but long-awaited death of NFL Films’ creator Ed Sabol, we got thinking: We need SEC Films for the Southeastern Conference, ESPN. Our stadiums are rammed every week with fanbases that sweat passion out of every orifice. We shake our shakers, scream our songs, and love our Tigers, Eagles, Bulldogs and Gators. Our players are the best of the best. They would fly around the screen, either in offense and defense. And you know what? An awful lot of defensive players are going pro in something that’s called football. Our numbers of players going to the NFL are out of this world. We want to see catches, tackles, quarterbacks with the fear of God in

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LSU loses WRs coach to 49ers

LSU’s wide receivers coach Adam Henry has decided to return to the NFL, taking a job with the San Francisco 49ers as the team’s wide receivers coach. Henry was in the job for two years after moving to Baton Rouge for five years with the Oakland Raiders, where he was offensive quality control coach and then tight ends coach. Under his watch, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry were major difference-makers for the LSU and then in their rookie years in the NFL with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. This is the latest coach to leave Les Miles this off-season after the LSU head coach lost long-term DC John Chavis to Texas A&M. Henry is not the only position

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SEC Spring Game calendar

As first revealed by Saturday Down South, here is the diary for SEC Spring Games: March 21: Vanderbilt April 11: Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina April 18: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri April 25: Arkansas, Tennessee Kentucky was forced to cancel its Spring Game due to renovations at Commonwealth Stadium, while Texas A&M will not hold a Spring Game due to renovations at Kyle Field (same as 2014).

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Arkansas loses RB coach to New Orleans Saints

Arkansas has lost its running backs coach Joel Thomas to the New Orleans Saints, it has been reported. Sports Illustrated senior writer Thayer Evans tweeted the news first, saying: “Arkansas RBs coach Joel Thomas has accepted same job w/ New Orleans Saints per sources.” Last year Arkansas was 24th in the nation in rushing offense, running for 2,834 total yards (218 yards per game). The running game – led by RBs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams – ran for around 5 yards per rush and 31 touchdowns. The news comes just a few weeks after Thomas signed a contract extension with the school worth $280,000 per season.    

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Arkansas gives Bielema contract extension, puts him in $4m club

Arkansas has given head coach Bret Bielema a two-year contract extension through 2020, in a deal that will earn the coach at least $4m a year. The Razorbacks will raise Bielema’s salary by $100,000 per year, and have also added incentives for athletic and academic success that could give ‘Bert’ an extra $1m a year. ESPN.com noted that Bielema becomes the eighth SEC coach to earn at least $4m a year. Jeff Long, Arkansas’ AD said: “Coach Bret Bielema is not only one of the best college football coaches in the nation, he is an outstanding leader. What Coach Bielema and his coaching staff have done for our young men, on and off the field, is something that has dramatically

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