UF accused of illegal contact with USC RB Baxter

By Adam Silverstein
June 11, 2010

ESPN‘s Joe Schad reports that the Florida Gators are one of five programs being accused of illegally contacting USC Trojans running back Dillon Baxter about a transfer.

Florida – along with Alabama, Oregon, Washington and Fresno State – allegedly reached out to Baxter (a true freshman) on June 10, according to USC. This potentially occurred one day before the NCAA announced that schools could recruit the Trojans’ juniors and seniors. Players wishing to leave will not have to sit out a year.

Baxter does not fall under these guidelines and told USC director of compliance Matt Billings about the illegal contact immediately; the Trojans have officially requested that the Pac-10 reach out to and speak with the accused parties.

“I just met with (Baxter) and he told me that he received phone calls from five institutions (June 10th),” Billings wrote to Pac-10 associate commissioner for governance and enforcement Ron Barker, according to ESPN. “All of the institutions asked if he was interested in transferring [from] USC due to the NCAA decision. Would you please speak with these schools to remind them they cannot speak to this student athlete?”

Gators associate athletics director for communications Steve McClain, Crimson Tide associate athletics director for football communications Jeff Purinton and Ducks head coach Chip Kelly have all denied the respective accusations.

The allegations, if determined to be true, would amount to secondary violations.

OGGOA will have more on this breaking story as it is made available.

12 Comments

  1. O-town Gator says:

    I smell a rat who goes by the name of LANE KIFFIN.

  2. Brooke says:

    “I smell a rat who goes by the name of LANE KIFFIN.”

    LOL! That’s exactly what we thought here, too.

  3. O-town Gator says:

    Reading between the lines, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Kiffykins is, in a way, crying wolf – so why not keep the pot stirred with Urban and Nick Saban, egg on his new rival Oregon, get a dig in at Sark (washington) and try to get even with his alma mater (Fresno State)? If he threw UCLA under the bus, it would have been way too obvious but still, unless one is really naive it’s obvious that Kiffin’s staging this because he can’t deal with the sanctions that were just handed down by the NCAA.

    As Urban likes to say, Kiffykins needs to “nut up” and stop acting like an over-grown brat.

  4. cartyseay says:

    Wow, I guess after we all watched Ed Orgeron recruit TN kids to USC, on video, Kiffin and his staff found religion and have decided to pursue the straight and narrow. Congradulations Coach, you’ve seen the light.

  5. Daniel M. says:

    How long before that street riot we saw in the Knoxville makes its way to USC? I felt sorry for Tennessee when that guy rode through town. I will relish every ounce of the embarrassment he heaps on USC.

    Even if the allegations are true, so what! Hey Kiffykins, this isn’t the time to be drawing yet more attention to your “powerful place.” It’s the time to shut up and lay low. Humility clearly isn’t in your repertoire.

  6. KB_Gators says:

    Who is going to believe what USC and possibly Kiffin says? They are just trying to deflect theIr pain.

  7. alex says:

    After being asked to produce the evidence USC is now saying that Baxter “Lost his phone.” How stupid can the USC staff and administration be? You do not need a cell phone for call log records. Kiffin better produce the evidence of foul play or shut the f*ck up

  8. Escambia94 says:

    I just hope any innocent parties allegedly involved are cleared and we move on. Let’s boycott USC for a couple years by not giving them any publicity whatsoever as the Pac-16ish grows without them.

  9. ReptilesRule says:

    I find it a little curious this claim that 5 schools just happened to call him on the same day, even before the official sanctions came out. Looks like Oregon, Bama and Florida have all denied the contact. Why do I get the feeling that maybe a school may have contacted him and then he just embellished the story by mentioning other high profile schools who didn’t.

  10. Phuq werner says:

    Atleast the other teams didn’t rip their shirts off and dance around yelling ‘Wildboys” like Lame and Ed, enjoy doing so much…

  11. Daniel M. says:

    Ironic that Kiffykins has an axe to grind with all the schools that allegedly contacted Baxter isn’t it?

  12. Gatormiami says:

    Lame wouldn’t lie…. so I, for one, believe him! YEAH, RIGHT!!!! Let’s see the proof, I say. (I still enjoy listening to “Runaway Lane”….. It’s hilarious!

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