UNC knew it was going to receive a long list of allegations from the NCAA but it always reads more harshly when you read the itemized allegations in black and white.
Among the allegations which involve major violations, problems caused by a former coach and claims of failing to monitor athletes are:
- former associate head coach John Blake providing “false and misleading information” to both NCAA investigators and the school regarding his relationship with late NFL agent Gary Wichard
- Blake failing to report $31,500 in outside income from Wichard’s firm, Pro Tect Management LLC, from May 2007 to October 2009.
- The NCAA said Blake worked to steer players to Wichard once they reached the NFL.
- The notice states seven players received more than $27,000 in improper benefits in 2009 and 2010.
- unethical conduct by former tutor Jennifer Wiley for refusing to cooperate with the investigation and providing about $3,500 worth of extra benefits in travel, parking expenses and free tutoring to players.
- UNC was also cited for failing to monitor “social media activity” of the team in 2010
- failing to monitor conduct of former player Chris Hawkins who was previously connected to trips to Atlanta and Las Vegas made by cornerback Kendric Burney and also paid $1,000 for the jersey of Georgia’s A.J. Green — a transaction that resulted in Green’s four-game suspension because the NCAA said Hawkins qualified as an agent.
The school has 90 days to respond to the notice and is scheduled to appear before the NCAA infractions committee in Indianapolis on Oct. 28.
The NCAA first visited the Chapel Hill campus last summer after former defensive tackle Marvin Austin tweeted about a trip to Miami. The initial focus soon expanded from improper benefits to academic violations involving Wiley, who refused to be interviewed and has since graduated.
The notice states that Blake refused to provide investigators with tax records from 2005-10 as well as information about a $45,000 deposit in December 2007 from Wichard’s bank.
While players’ names were redacted in the notice, the NCAA said one of the players received more than $13,507.47 in benefits — with more than $5,000 tied to Wichard — another received $5,642.92 and a third received $5,040.20.
Those amounts are consistent with the figures provided by the school in October when it dismissed Austin and announced that the NCAA declared defensive end Robert Quinn and receiver Greg Little “permanently ineligible.”
At the time, the school said Quinn had received two black diamond watches, a pair of matching earrings and travel accommodations to Miami for benefits worth $5,642, while Little accepted diamond earrings as well as travel accommodations for the Bahamas, Washington, D.C., and a pair of trips to Miami for benefits worth $4,952.
Athletic director Dick Baddour said at the time the decision to dismiss Austin came after the NCAA’s preliminary determination that he had received between $10,000 and $13,000 in improper benefits.
All three players returned to campus in March for the school’s workouts for pro scouts and apologized for their actions. Quinn went on to become a first-round NFL draft pick, while Austin and Little were second-rounders.
