NCAA Investigating ASU For Covid-19 Recruiting Violations

College athletics — specifically college football — has always been filled with individuals and programs attempting to skirt the rules. The worst lie in sports is that there are programs that “do it the right way.” 

All programs try and walk the fine line. Some are just better at it than others. 

On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that the NCAA is investigating Arizona State University for recruiting violations during the Covid-19 dead period, among other violations. 

The university confirmed to The Athletic in a statement that the school is under investigation by the NCAA. 

“ASU can confirm the NCAA is conducting an investigation regarding allegations related to our football program,” Arizona State vice president of media relations and strategic communications Katie Paquet said. “In accordance with NCAA bylaws, the university cannot provide further comment at this time.”

According to Yahoo Sports, the investigation began after an anonymous person sent in pages of screenshots, receipts, emails and pictures of numerous violations within the program. The pages are now in the possession of the NCAA. 

As the world shut down last March due to the pandemic, college athletics did as well. The NCAA paused all in-person recruiting for 15 months, forcing coaches to recruit electronically. The allegations claim the university flaunted these rules, secretly hosting recruits for on-campus visits.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported that “at least 30 players visited campus over a span of months,  a practice so common coaches referenced ‘official visit weekends’ in staff meetings, coaches bumped into recruits and families in a back stairwell and a routine developed of facility tours being given around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. at night.” More from Yahoo Sports:

On one weekend in October, there were so many high school kids visiting that a staff member parked a 12-person van in the staff parking lot to tour around recruits. The visits spanned months, sources said, including some in October, the weekend of the UCLA game in December and through the spring game, which one source said “was like an official visit weekend.”

“It wasn’t a secret,” said a staff member with direct knowledge of the visits. “As far as knowing everyone who came into that [football] office, the number is too big and the names are too many. They would bring in parents, their moms and dads and friends. They’d get a facility tour like they were on an official visit. They’d show you the weight room and training room. They’d show you everything.”

The allegations of Covid-19 violations are particularly embarrassing for ASU, as the football team was only able to play four games during the 2020 season due to an outbreak within the team. Head coach Herman Edwards — along with a number of staff members and players — tested positive in November 2020, causing the cancelation of their game against Cal. 

“First, I want to say that Lia, the girls and I are fine and I will be back quicker than you can say ‘Forks Up!’” Edwards said in a statement at the time. “Second, even with the marvelous care our medical professionals have provided for myself, my staff and my team over the past few months the virus still found me.  So, I encourage all of you to take this virus seriously, to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and get tested whenever possible.”

Edwards’s level of involvement in the violations is unknown, as he is described as a “closer” when it comes to recruiting. His associate head coach — former NFL linebacker Antonio Pierce — is also ASU’s recruiting coordinator, and undoubtedly will be one of the focal points of the investigation. 

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

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