All posts tagged NCAA Football

Jacory Harris and Robert Marve have a lot in common.

They both were standout high school quarterbacks in Florida, and both were heavily recruited by the Miami Hurricanes. Harris stayed, and, at least on paper, is the likely favorite to start for Miami this fall, in his senior season. Marve and Harris competed for playing time in 2008, with Marve earning most of the starts before leaving Miami and transferring to Purdue after developing a poor relationship with then-coach Randy Shannon.

Oh, there’s one other thing — both were implicated by Miami booster Nevin Shapiro as having accepted improper benefits from Shapiro.

Similarities? Yep. But here’ s one thing they don’t have in common: Only Harris has the NCAA (presumably) breathing down his neck.

Dennis Dodd, senior writer for CBSSports.com, revealed on Monday an interesting thing about the investigation into the Miami scandal — players who were implicated by Shapiro but left the Hurricanes aren’t being pursued by the NCAA, for a couple of reasons. First, NCAA investigators have been given, at least in this instance, the ability to apply “limited immunity” to those who were named by Shapiro but have moved on, in order to gain more information about Shapiro’s activities. And second, those players likely wouldn’t be pursued by the NCAA because, as an NCAA enforcement official said, “prospects who take extra benefits at one school but sign with another are not pursued unless they are receiving those benefits from an agent. ”

Come again?

Let’s take a quick look at what Shapiro said about Marve, who apparently isn’t in trouble, and Harris, who is apparently one of the 15 current Miami players being investigated, according to the Yahoo! Sports investigation released last week:

Shapiro said Harris visited his mansion several times, accepting food and drinks at the Miami Beach palace; Harris also participated in a pool tournament — with cash prizes provided by the booster — at the home. He also said Harris took advantage of Shapiro-provided VIP access to Miami nightclubs.

Marve also accepted VIP access at Miami clubs, Shapiro said, and made multiple visits to the booster’s home. But Marve’s case, Shapiro said, went further. The young quarterback accepted at least one cash payment, meals at tony steakhouses and, apparently because he was having trouble with his girlfriend at the time, VIP visits to south Florida strip clubs.

I know, I know — a violation is a violation is a violation. But it seems odd that only one of these guys — the one who didn’t take part in quite as much bad stuff, according to the accuser — would have concerns about his eligibility while the other — the one who’s no longer that Miami — has none.

If you read Dodd’s story, you’ll find a one explanation that seems to almost make sense — the NCAA doesn’t target recruits who end up attending schools other than the one where the violations occurred (unless an agent is involved); the presumption is that the recruit — and his family — don’t know better, while the school should. I’m a little skeptical about this one; are there really blue-chip high school football players who don’t have a basic understanding of what the NCAA considers to be improper benefits these days?

And I also get what the NCAA is doing in this case. The application of limited immunity — something that Dodd reported is used infrequently — is how the NCAA will build a case on something other than the word of a convicted felon as it reaches for its real targets here — the University of Miami and, in my mind, the Hurricanes’ former AD Paul Dee, who made a mess of righteously indignant statements about USC’s NCAA violations while serving as chairman of the NCAA’s infractions committee — while also not noticing Shapiro as he allegedly ran amok in his athletics department. The players — in danger or not — are pawns as the NCAA chases its real prey.

If I’m Robert Marve, I’m relieved. But if I’m Jacory Harris, I’m pissed.

Photo sources.