University of Oregon Gets Sanctions/Wrist Slap

((ht: goducks.com))

So, along with the other things going on this morning, the University of Oregon learned what the NCAA has decided to do with the charges of recruiting violations and using a non-compliant recruiting service (Wille Lyles).

And it's not nearly as bad as it probably could have been.

Here's the abridged version:

The NCAA found 6 issues--

1) Recruiting violations by the owner of a recruiting/scouting service how became a representative of the school's athletic interests
2) Use of said service which didn't comply with the NCAA legislation
3) Impermissible calls by non-coaching staff members
4) Too many football coaches
5) Former head coach (Chip Kelly) failed to monitor
6) Failure to monitor by the institution

And your slap on the wrist/penalties:

1) Public reprimand and censure
2) 3 Years probation, starting today (June 26th, 2013)
3) Loss of one scholarship for the next 2-years
4) Loss of 4 'Paid Visits' by coaching staff to recruits
5) Loss of 6 'Football Evaluation Days' from 42 to 36
6) No subscription recruiting services during probation
7) The recruiting service provider (Lyles) will be disassociated from the school (already happened)

And the penalty to former coach Chip Kelly, who now coaches the Philadelphia Eagles:

--An 18 month "Show-Cause" penalty, which means he can't coach in the NCAA until the end of next year. Not that he would want to now...

GoDucks.com provides the entire 28-page document RIGHT HERE

So--essentially, the NCAA is saying, "Yeah, you did some bad things, but we are going to slap your wrists". There is no bowl ban. There's minimal loss of scholarships and the NCAA can say "You were bad". And they get to say, without saying it, that it's Chip Kelly's fault.

What's the point?

This does little if anything to slow down Nike U/Oregon.



UPDATE:

Here's a statement released by former head coach Chip Kelly:

“Now that the NCAA has concluded their investigation and penalized the University of Oregon and its football program, I want to apologize to the University of Oregon, all of its current and former players and their fans.  I accept my share of responsibility for the actions that led to the penalties. As I have I stated before, the NCAA investigation and subsequent ruling had no impact on my decision to leave Oregon for Philadelphia. I have also maintained throughout that I had every intention to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation, which I did."

Oregon FB Agrees On Violations... Mostly...

((HT: KVAL-TV))

Now that Chip Kelly has left the University of Oregon for the Philadelphia Eagles, it's time for the NCAA to get all the violations underway... most of the violations the school and the governing body agree on...

Some they don't... at least in the severity of them...

The Oregonian and KATU-TV in Portland filed an open records request and the paperwork focuses mainly on the Willie Lyles/Lache Seastrunk episode involving the written/not-written encouragement of having Seastrunk attend Oregon and Lyles reimbursement for the direction

The violations are considered "major" and involve the idea of "failure to monitor" by Chip Kelly. But, somewhat in conflict, there are no findings of a lack of institutional control or unethical conduct.

Oregon decided to give an incredibly generic statement on the release of the documents:

"The review is ongoing until the NCAA Committee on Infractions issues its final report. The integrity of the process and our continued full cooperation with the NCAA prohibits us from publicly discussing the specifics of this matter."

Here's the report from out west...


Expect Oregon to appeal the findings to the Committee on Infractions in the spring and the school has already performed two self-punishments: a scholarship reduction for each of the next three years and a two-year probation.

Oregon chooses OC Mark Helfrich to be Kelly's successor

Mark Helfrich (photo courtesy GoDucks.com)

EUGENE - To anyone following west coast college football, Chip Kelly's successor at Oregon should not be an unusual choice.

Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich was named as Kelly's replacement early Sunday morning. Oregon will officially announce the promotion Sunday afternoon, and will continue Oregon's penchant for staying inside the family with hiring choices.

Another candidate for the job, former Stanford OC Pep Hamilton, was hired to be Chuck Pagano's OC with the Indianapolis Colts.

Kelly was in the middle of a coaching carousel soap opera, turning down the Cleveland job to stay in Eugene. Kelly surprised everyone when he turned around and took the Philadelphia Eagles' vacant coaching position. I guess the Cleveland job really IS that bad.

That reversal opened the door for the 39-yr old Helfrich, whom many said from the beginning would replace Kelly - maybe even being talked about for over a year. Helfrich had been Kelly's OC for the last four seasons.

Helfrich will be the third consecutive Oregon offensive coordinator that went on to become the Ducks' head coach. Kelly took over for Mike Bellotti in 2009, and before that, Bellotti was Rich Brooks' successor in 1995.

The HQ is also hearing that wide receivers coach Scott Frost will be promoted to offensive coordinator.

DEVELOPING: Chip Kelly To Eagles

After thinking about it, thinking better of it, and thinking again...

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly is going to Philadelphia to see if his style of offense will work in the NFL...

More when we know more...

1240 UPDATE: "Chip Kelly will be an outstanding head coach for the Eagles," said owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "He has a brilliant football mind. He motivates his team with his actions as well as his words. He will be a great leader for us and will bring a fresh, energetic approach to our team."

Not bad for a guy who was the defensive coordinator for Johns Hopkins ten years ago...

The question was raised early on in the Kelly Green discussion as to whether or not his offensive approach would actually work...
((HT: CSNPhilly))


And, then, there's the whole idea of getting the Santa Claus reference out of the way...
((HT: CSNPhilly))

DEVELOPING: Kelly To Stay At Oregon

((HT:ESPN/Schefter))

from Adam and his sources...

After being courted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year and turning them down before Greg Schiano left Rutgers to take the gig...

And being courted by both the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles this year, it looks like the same story with a different chapter added...

Chip Kelly is returning to Oregon for another year in the Pac-12...

More when we know more, but until then, here's the courting process from Eugene's point-of-view...
((HT: KVAL-TV))

Oh, Yeah... The Bee-Cee-Ess Went Into The Blender Last Night...

And it only took two losses for that to happen...

Notre Dame's easy win over Wake Forest (sorry, J-Dub) assures them, at least, the two seed going into their game with USC...

Georgia and Alabama control their own fates at the Ess-E-Cee title game in Atlanta...

But Just as soon as Collin Klein ends up on the cover of the SPorts magazine that has Illustrations, they get whacked by Baylor in Waco...

Didn't really see that coming...
((HT: G4SportsNews))


And, then, The other issue happened in the Pac-12...
Remember what the HQ has always said about fast, athletic defenses squaring off against Oregon and their offense...???

Remember the Ess-E-Cee and their time keeping the Ducks in check...???

Stanford found a way- even if it took extra time to do it...
And, whaddya wanna bet Chip Kelly never ever kicks again...
((HT: KVAL-TV Eugene))

Green With Envy: Oregon Infiltrates Tempe Mountain

((HT: AZCentral.com))

The HQ knows that Oregon is heading to Tempe to take on Arizona State for a nationally-televised game tonight...

And, as people say, Thursday night is where ranked teams go to die...

So, Oregon fans, knowing where the home game is played, took their pride to the mountain top (literally) this morning to paint their colors over the "A"...

Evidence below...

Apparently, it has been painted over since the initial color changing...
Back to black...

Here's Todd Graham talking about the game... before he goes somewhere else...
((HT: ArizonaSports620))

DEVELOPING: Chip Kelly To Bucs (UPDATE: Or Not)

And we're not talking East Tennessee or anything like that...

It's the big-boy Buccaneers, as in Tampa...

According to the Football Scoop and others, the soon-to-be former Oregon head coach is already in the throes of assembling a staff to head to Tampa...

Here's how KGW started looking at it in Portland...


After meeting with Bucs GM Mark Domenick met with Kelly and they're hoping to have a deal done, officially, within the next day or so...
((HT: KVAL-TV))


Monday Update: Claiming he has some unfinished business, he's staying...
((HT: KATU-TV/KVAL-TV))

Oregon, You're On The Clock

And you have Willie Lyles and Lache Seastrunk ((among others)) to thank for this go-round...

The NCAA relayed the official "Notice of Inquiry" in a telephone call to Oregon President Richard Lariviere this week. The school announced this development before Oregon's game against Missouri State.

The inquiry is the result of reports that surfaced this spring concerning payments Oregon made to recruiting services, including a $25,000 payment to Willie Lyles and Houston-based Complete Scouting Services.

Most of the info Lyles and CSS gave Oregon was outdated and even included information on players that were playing against the Ducks in bowl games.

"This notice has been anticipated and is simply the next stage of the process," UO athletic director Rob Mullens said in a University release. "The University of Oregon football program, from Head Coach Chip Kelly through the entire organization, has tremendous respect for the NCAA's important role in monitoring collegiate athletics and, to this end, continues to fully cooperate with the NCAA 's ongoing examination.

"The Athletic Department, Coach Kelly and the entire staff remain committed to operating the athletics program consistent with the highest standards and ensuring our program follows best practices."


Of course, you will...

Lyles has admitted that he made a mistake in this and that CSS, for all intents and purposes, is a dead business nowadays...

Interesting to see who comes out alive in this one...

Seastrunk Cleared To Leave Oregon

((HT: KVAL-TV Eugene))

The whole Willie Lyles shenanigan took an interesting turn in Eugene, Oregon yesterday on the University of Oregon campus...

One of the running backs at the center of the controversy of did-he-or-didn't-he get there because of Lyles, Lache Seastrunk, didn't show up at practice Saturday morning. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly released Seastrunk from his scholarship and told Lache he was free to leave...

There was talk that Seastrunk was, really, fifth on the Ducks depth-chart. But was he buried there...???

Nick Krupke leads team coverage...


The HQ thinks that Seastrunk's release was putting a certain amount of window dressing on the pig that is the current NCAA investigation. If Lache isn't around, then the ill-gotten gains of the relationship with Willie Lyles are diminished...

See...??? See...??? He's not here... we're not getting anything out of the deal anymore...???

Right...

Lyles Turns On Oregon, Says Kelly Paid $25k

((HT: Yahoo!Sports/Robinson, Wetzel))

The HQ is fairly certain this qualifies in the "saving your own hide" department, but Will Lyles has come forward in his version of events centering around the University of Oregon and that Oregon coach Chip Kelly personally approved the $25,000 that started the NCAA investigation.

Lyles maintains that Kelly had him submit old info just to have it on file before the investigation started on the recruiting of Lache Seastrunk in early March.

From Yahoo!
“They said they just needed anything,” Lyles said of the embarrassingly thin recruiting profiles that Oregon made public earlier this month. “They asked for last-minute [stuff]. So I gave them last-minute [stuff] … I gave them, like, old stuff that I still had on my computer because I never thought that stuff would see the light of day.”

Lyles also helped Seastrunk get his legal guardianship changed from his mother to grandmother so the LOI would be signed for him to go to Oregon- a place his mother didn't want him to go. Oregon's Assistant Director of Football Operations, Josh Gibson, knew of this move by Lyles the entire time.

Lyles still hasn't received the $25-grand and doubts he ever will and his CSS scouting-combine business is, pretty much, a dead stick...

Here's Tom Ward from our friends at KVAL-TV in Eugene announcing the good news...
Good news, at the time...
((HT: KVAL-TV))