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Most of the info Lyles and CSS gave Oregon was outdated and even included information on players that were playing against the Ducks in bowl games.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