AAS: Agent bought meals for 2 UT Football Players

[utisdabomb12]

Seems like we are late to the Ball.  The meals happened in March.

It was self-reported in June when the compliance office became aware that the two players had their meals paid for. The compliance office probably should have been on top of things in a quicker manner, but in the end the right thing was done. The two players were self-reported. 

As for Reed's dad not answering questions, nothing to see here whatsoever. Nobody is going to answer questions on this subject matter until it's handled by the NCAA. If Reed's dad was answering questions I would be 20 times more worried because that would show the compliance office is not on top of the ball. Like I said, nobody should be talking in the middle of a NCAA investigation. 

 

[utisdabomb12]

Also seems somewhat nutty that our players did not know that they cannot accept meals (or other things) from agents.  Or worse, that they knew but did it anyway.  Especially in light of the fact that this is not the first time this has happened.

Edmonds and Hicks deserve some blame no doubt. At the end of the day though, these things seem to happen all the time. When I was researching past precedents on punishments you would be amazed at how many incidents there are where players didn't know they couldn't accept cash/meals from an agent. I'm not excusing Edmonds and Hicks don't get me wrong. Most college kids are naive though and if an agent asked to pick up the tab, I really wonder how many athletes would internalize that as a NCAA violation. 

IMO Edmonds and Hicks should be punished, but this is nothing more then a small NCAA violation. Past precedent in punishment shows this. 

 

[doc longhorn]

If this is true and Hicks is involved, it wil be his second dumbass move - remember the video thing with Hicks and McCoy?

 

[Topstarr]

Yes this is some DUMB STUFF....the players are told all the time about this situation and not just one time. Now lets get it together.

 

[pringlelake]

[SIZE=1.1em]Texas Occupations Code Sec. 2051.351. PROHIBITIONS.[/SIZE]

(a) An athlete agent may not...

(7) before an athlete completes the athlete's last intercollegiate sports contest, furnish a thing of value to the athlete or an individual related to the athlete within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity; 
(8) except as provided by this chapter, before an athlete completes the athlete's last intercollegiate sports contest: 
(A) directly contact the athlete; or  enter into an oral or written agreement with the athlete for the athlete agent to represent the athlete; 
(9) furnish anything of value to any person other than the athlete or another registered athlete agent to induce an athlete to enter into an agreement with the athlete agent; 
(10) initiate any contact with an athlete, except as authorized by this chapter; 
... 
or 
(14) commit an act or cause a person to commit an act on the athlete agent's behalf that causes an athlete to violate a rule of the national association for the promotion and regulation of intercollegiate athletics of which the athlete's institution of higher education is a member.

Sec. 2051.501. CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) An athlete agent commits an offense if the agent intentionally or knowingly violates this chapter or a rule under this chapter. 
( Except as provided by Subsection ©, an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. 
© An offense under this section committed by an athlete agent who intentionally or knowingly violates Section 2051.351(a)(7) or (14) is a third degree felony.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/OC/htm/OC.2051.htm

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Edmonds and Hicks deserve some blame no doubt. At the end of the day though, these things seem to happen all the time. When I was researching past precedents on punishments you would be amazed at how many incidents there are where players didn't know they couldn't accept cash/meals from an agent. I'm not excusing Edmonds and Hicks don't get me wrong. Most college kids are naive though and if an agent asked to pick up the tab, I really wonder how many athletes would internalize that as a NCAA violation. 

IMO Edmonds and Hicks should be punished, but this is nothing more then a small NCAA violation. Past precedent in punishment shows this. 

It is the athletic department, coaches or whoever, responsibility to educate the student-athlete about these kinds of things and it is the players responsibility to avoid these situations. So, assuming that players are told and warned about things like this, then Edmonds and Hicks deserve most, if not all, of the blame. If they are not told, then the athletic department deserves all of the blame.