Connect with your Facebook Account

Contact

11

The History of College Football Recruiting Cheating- Part 1

Posted by TaylorTRoom on May 30th, 2008 under Football, Recruiting


This is Part One in a multiple part series.

Please check out parts two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten.


_________________________________________________________________________________

I see this as the start of a series of posts, explaining the history of cheating in college football. This series will be fairly non-judgmental, except when dealing with obvious sociopaths (Jackie Sherrill). Doesn’t it seem odd that there would be any cheating, considering that colleges tend to be fairly idealistic organizations? I’ve come to the conclusion that most cheating happens when hyper-competitive types perceive the rules as being biased against them, and are not sufficiently regulated by their bosses or institutions.

Let’s start at the beginning. Did any of you play on any club sports (non-varsity) teams? That’s basically what college football was 100 years ago- a club sport (a club sport that could draw crowds of over 10,000). There were notions about things like eligibility, but the regulating was very lax. It was not uncommon to see freshmen, grad students (some of whom had played a few years already), and non-students suiting up for competition.

Sports conferences were created to regulate the sport (this was before the NCAA). Football being more developed in the northeast, the Ivy league was created first. The Ivy League discovered that having a more regulated game strengthened its popularity, because victories really meant something.

In Texas, the TIAA was the first regulatory body, and it covered the whole state. The TIAA had rules about eligibility, but no method of inspecting or enforcing. This was a problem for the Texas AD, Theo Bellmont. Texas had just suspended its annual series with TAMU, because the Ag fans kept picking fights after the game, and because the Ag coach had the habit of using ineligible ringers. The memoir of one Ag player, “Dutchman on the Brazos” by Caesar Hohn, tells of how every year Moran would introduce 5 or so new players to the team, with names much like “John Doe”. The newcomers would be immediate starters, but rarely attend class, and never final exams. They would disappear after the season. The Ag AD, Joe Utay, was constantly trying to get Moran to stop using the ringers, but unsuccessfully.

The Texas/TAMU series had been financially lucrative, and there was pressure to get it going again. Bellmont decided that the solution to all of these issues was a new regulatory body- the Southwest Conference. He convened the invited and interested ADs were invited to a meeting in Dallas. The original members were Texas, TAMU, Baylor, Southwestern, Arkansas, OU, and Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State). Rice joined soon after and LSU declined.

The primary purpose was to regulate the sport, and not to crown champions. Per Joe Utay, the new rules of play were explained to Moran, and he decided to leave rather than compete under them (contrary to Ag myth, Utay says UT in no way forced his departure).

The league was an immediate success. Teams that had not initially wanted to join soon started applying for membership. It’s very ironic that a league created to stop cheating would become synonymous with cheating 70 years later.

Part II is here: The History of College Football Recruiting Cheating- Part 2

Part III is here: The History of College Football Recruiting Cheating- Part 3

Part IV is here: The History of College Football Recruiting Cheating- Part 4

More from this Barker


Share This

  • StumbleUpon

11 Responses

  1. uthookem said:

    May 30th, 2008 at 9:44 am

    Nice beginning. I’m looking forward to the rest.

    Hook ‘em!

  2. Wwwwwwwwait… I’m a little confused. Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do. They are very vocal about this. So how could they ever have been accused of cheating???

    Next you’re going to tell me their ascendancy in the 80s was somehow compromised by cheating. Ha! Yeah right.

  3. Mack Brown said:

    May 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    Well if OU and A&M are included, its going to be a long series.

  4. What's a milkman? said:

    May 30th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    Wasn’t it “TAMC” back then? A small college to teach farmers why their tractor broke when they didn’t change the oil?

  5. Don’t worry, this series won’t just pick on the Aggies.

  6. NateHeupel said:

    May 30th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

    Taylor, I think you could pick on anyone. ‘Bama, Notre Dame, OU, UT, A&M…pretty much everyone.

  7. Barry Switzer said:

    May 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    Yeah – everyone does it!

    d

  8. I don’t see why the Sooners are so defensive…

  9. Ransom Stoddard said:

    May 31st, 2008 at 4:33 am

    The ou cheating discussion will take a year

  10. “except when dealing with obvious sociopaths (Jackie Sherrill)”

    Obviously the makings of an objective analysis.

Leave a Reply

Activity

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post The week in news- Bowl Bust, Anti Piracy and Barnstorming FedEx   ago

    Good rundown.

    These are interesting times for Domers.

    Do you think Brian Kelly is going to make a concerted effort to recruit Texas again? Surely they can peddle a little Tim Brown hype to the Dallas kids?

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Hank Dudek commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   9 minutes ago

    texasengr,

    I love Gary Johnson on offense. If he had Dexter’s height and frame we would be undefeated because he is our only legitimate post scorer. Unfortunately, he is 6′6″ which is more reason to love the fact that he scores over guys 2 or 3 inches taller than him. He also has

  • whiskey wrote a new blog post: The week in news- Bowl Bust, Anti Piracy and Barnstorming FedEx   16 minutes ago

    Welcome to what I like to call “The Week In News” a.k.a. TWIN. At the end of each week I make an effort to throw my two cents in on the most interesting college football stories that I saw during the week and had yet to make a full fledged post on. Without

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Bob in Houston commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   18 minutes ago

    The freshman wall example from ‘07 isn’t DJ Augustin as much as it was Justin Mason, who actually broke down.

    I’m wondering if RB wouldn’t rewarm to coaching if it meant seven scholarship players again.

  • Burnt Orange Wookiee commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   25 minutes ago

    Ah, the unintentional irony of a Kirk Bohls quote.

  • dick commented on the blog post Trey Metoyer to OU   37 minutes ago

    Mark Bradley maybe?

    Steve Largent played WR in college in the state of Oklahoma didn’t he? That’s probably what Trey is referring to

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Bob in Houston commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Baylor: Post-Mortem, kinda   38 minutes ago

    I am wondering if we are getting to the point where we have to wonder how low things must get before something is done.

    And I’m usually a guy who will look at the overall record and try to find a positive somewhere. Problem is that this is now the most talented bubble team in basketball,

  • dick commented on the blog post Trey Metoyer to OU   38 minutes ago

    yeah, his comment about him being slow was month’s ago. I could have also dreamed it up in my head. I don’t think it was he that compared him to Crabtree but I think it was all in the same thread. But I’ve also see that comparison elsewhere because of the lack

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Baylor: Post-Mortem, kinda   41 minutes ago

    “Another Dipshit Poster said: Edit
    March 12th, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    I wouldn’t put Hamilton being back next in ink, as the odds are long he’s going to be here. If you want to get really depressed think about our front line next year sans Hamilton. Now staring down the barrel of a multiple year problem.”

    Wow

  • dick commented on the blog post Metoyer Commits to OU and a Brief Commentary on Life   44 minutes ago

    congrats on the new kid and new WR

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Rick Reilly Is A Walking Amber Alert   46 minutes ago

    Scipio, the title of your article should go down in the Barking Carnival Hall of Fame…the list of which is long and distinguished, like my johnson.

    Nice work.

  • dick commented on the blog post Trey Metoyer to OU   46 minutes ago

    “also the success of some of their receivers in the NFL”

    I am blanking on who this might be.

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Basketball Bets 3/12   48 minutes ago

    Diego, no shit. The Hokies were too busy whining to bother fouling.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Basketball Bets 3/12   50 minutes ago

    J. Black, I love the TAMU game. Turgeon will have his boys ready and I don’t think Kansas is really thrilled about being there. Collins getting over the flu as well.

    I expect a close game.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Basketball Bets 3/12   51 minutes ago

    Adding one.

    Ticket #: 73182014> TO WIN 2010 NCAA BIG 12 CONFERENCE
    03/12/2010 @ 04:00 PM TNT TEXAS A&M +1000
    100.00 1000.00

  • dick wrote a new blog post: Trey Metoyer to OU   59 minutes ago

    Per ESPN:
    6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver Trey Metoyer (Whitehouse, Texas) committed to the Sooners Friday over LSU and Ole Miss, ESPN affiliate Web site OUInsider.com reports.

    Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor and Oklahoma State also extended scholarship offers.

    “I just feel like that OU is a perfect fit,” Metoyer said in a press release posted

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post Rick Reilly Is A Walking Amber Alert   1 hour ago

    tim beam, milksteak, BiH -

    Nicely stated.

    BatesHorn -

    The last Alabama TD wasn’t needed, but it’s not like they ran a triple reverse flea flicker. Saban did it to be a prick, but so what? It’s still our job to stop them. I also think you kneel it there

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post Rick Reilly Is A Walking Amber Alert   1 hour ago

    tim beam, milksteak, BiH -

    Nicely stated.

    BatesHorn -

    The last Alabama TD wasn’t needed, but it’s not like they run a triple reverse flea flicker. Saban did it to be a prick, but so what? It’s still our job to stop them. I also think you kneel it there

  • Black Scholes commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour ago

    The low basketball IQ of much of this team makes me want to vomit.

    No mas.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Basketball Bets 3/12   1 hour, 3 minutes ago

    Horrible beat on the Va Tech game. Should have won outright instead got the moose push.

    The turner shot saved my bacon. They’ll win the whole thing now.

  • Bob in Houston commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Baylor: Post-Mortem, kinda   1 hour, 8 minutes ago

    Well, Norm never made the FF. But I suppose I get your point.

  • Burnt Orange Wookiee commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour, 29 minutes ago

    “If you try to play him as a pure 2, the big guards in the league would demolish him.”

    Couldn’t agree more. A team’s defensive ace on the perimeter would kill him. Imagine the Thunder’s stopper Sefolosha taking him to task right now. Wouldn’t be pretty, heck the better PG defenders would likely take him

  • GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post Rick Reilly Is A Walking Amber Alert   1 hour, 33 minutes ago

    Rick, if I call time outs in NCAA Football in order to reach 100 or guarantee my third string running back reaches the century mark, am I an asshole for disrespecting the computer’s psyche?

  • dick commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour, 35 minutes ago

    I would have thought that the only way we lose JH and AB to the NBA was if we had an awesome season so I was ok with the possibility. Now we have to deal with the nightmare of losing those two for next year plus the shietty season we are goin through now.

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post Top 10 Defensive Lapses   1 hour, 38 minutes ago

    ipowers is easily my favorite poster on BC. The dude just brings it.

  • Kevin Berger wrote a new blog post: Thoughts on Evan Turner’s Bomb   1 hour, 38 minutes ago

    A two dribble, thirty-five foot form jumper for the win at the buzzer is Player of the Year worthy stuff.

    It was a great shot by a great player that will be shown 8 billion times between now and the end of March.

    It was also a shot that was entirely preventable if

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour, 41 minutes ago

    In their defense Scip, it’s a pretty tough analogy to derive if you don’t already know the correlation. I was only in 7th grade when I read it, but I certainly wouldn’t have seen any comparisons to the Russian Revolution unless I had been told about it.

  • J Rog wrote a new blog post: Spurs vs. Timberwolves: Open Thread   1 hour, 42 minutes ago

    Tonight, the Spurs travel to a barren wasteland the Land of 10,000 Lakes or something to take on the Timberwolves, a team that hasn’t won since the Clinton Administration.  And as you know, I hate hyperbole.

    There isn’t a whole lot to say about this one.  Though the Mavericks tried to show us last night that

    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour, 42 minutes ago

    As for Bradley and the NBA, his issue is that he doesn’t have the handle to play PG yet, which is the position he must play in the NBA to succeed in any meaningful way.

    He could give you some energy and a little Andrew Toney mid-range game off of the bench as

  • Scipio Tex commented on the blog post There’s Something about Avery.   1 hour, 45 minutes ago

    “All true, but Bradley being a Barnes type of player leaves him as the horse in Animal Farm. “I will work harder,” says Bradley. Yes, right up to the point of exhaustion. And we don’t even have the benefit of watching practice. Stockholm Syndrome comes to Cooley Pavilion?”

    Fantastic paragraph. Avery Bradley is Boxer.