Andrew Pace
The Auburn University men's basketball team was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA after an investigation found that former assistant coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person had accepted bribes to steer prospective players towards the school. The NCAA panel found that Person had violated ethical conduct rules, and the university was also fined $5,000 plus 3% of the program's budget. Head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games for failing to monitor Person and promote compliance with the rules.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for probation | Violations committed by former assistant coaches |
| Length of probation | 4 years |
| Fines | $5,000 plus 3% of the men's basketball budget |
| Suspension | Head coach Bruce Pearl suspended for 2 games |
| Scholarship reductions | 2 scholarships reduced during the probation period |
| Postseason ban | Self-imposed by Auburn in 2020-21, no additional ban imposed by the NCAA |
| Other penalties | Wins during which ineligible athletes played will be vacated |
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What You'll Learn
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl's two-game suspension
Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games and the program was placed on probation for four years in connection with violations committed by former assistant coaches. The NCAA announced that Auburn self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2020-21 season, which the NCAA honoured as part of its punishment.
The scandal involved former Tigers assistant coach Chuck Person, who received bribes in exchange for influencing players to sign with certain financial advisors. Person was fired after his arrest and avoided prison time when a federal judge ordered him to complete 200 hours of community service. An NCAA panel found Person had violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes. The panel also found that Person or the school gave the players or their families more than $10,000.
Pearl's two-game suspension began on December 10, 2021, with Wes Flanigan coaching Auburn against Nebraska and Steven Pearl coaching against North Alabama. Pearl acknowledged the suspension, stating, "It is time to put this behind us. As part of our penalty, I will begin my two-game suspension tomorrow against Nebraska."
The NCAA did not impose an additional postseason ban, which was good news for Auburn, as they maintained that Pearl was not directly involved in the scandal. Auburn was proactive and cooperative with the NCAA enforcement staff and Committee on Infractions throughout the investigation.
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Auburn basketball's four-year probation period
Auburn University's men's basketball team was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA. The decision came after an NCAA panel found that former associate head coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person violated ethical conduct rules. Person accepted $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor to steer two prospective players, Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy, towards the school. The players or their families also received more than $10,000 from Person.
The NCAA panel wrote in its decision:
> "The associate head coach violated the trust of his student-athletes and their families. Rather than protect them, he intentionally brought opportunists into the Auburn men's basketball program and, using his influence, introduced them to the student-athletes and their families."
In addition to the four-year probation period, Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for the next two games for failing to monitor Person and sufficiently promote compliance with the rules. Pearl said in a statement:
> "I'm appreciative of Auburn University, our leadership, the AU family, and our current and former student-athletes as we navigated through the challenges of the last four years. It is time to put this behind us."
Auburn also self-imposed a postseason ban last season in advance of the NCAA's ruling, and the NCAA honoured that penalty as part of its punishment. The university will not appeal the committee's decision.
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Self-imposed sanctions and penalties
Auburn University secretly self-imposed a long list of sanctions against its men's basketball program in the wake of assistant coach Chuck Person's arrest in September 2017. This was an extraordinary situation, as it is rare for a public university to keep athletic department disciplinary actions secret. The self-imposed sanctions were also severe in nature. From September 2017 to April 2018, Auburn did not conduct any recruiting. This included no official or unofficial visits by prospective players and no contacts or phone calls to any recruits.
Auburn also self-imposed a postseason ban last year, which the NCAA honoured as part of its punishment. The NCAA did not add any further postseason ban, which was good news for Auburn. Auburn also cut one scholarship in the 2020-21 season and will lose two more during the probation period.
The university will not appeal the committee's decision. In a statement, Auburn said, "We are pleased that a conclusion has been reached in this case. We respect the NCAA peer evaluation process and appreciate the panel recognized we took meaningful and contemporaneous penalties."
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Chuck Person's 10-year show-cause penalty
The Auburn men's basketball program was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA. The regulatory body also imposed a two-game suspension on coach Bruce Pearl. The NCAA panel found that Chuck Person, former assistant coach, violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor to steer prospects Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy to Auburn. The NCAA release didn't name the coaches or players. The panel said the players or their families received more than $10,000 from Person. Person, who was fired by Auburn after his arrest, avoided prison time when a federal judge ordered him to do 200 hours of community service in July 2019.
Person's misconduct was discovered in connection to the FBI sting operation on college basketball that rocked the sport in 2017. He received a 10-year show-cause penalty for his actions. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions stated that Person "violated the trust of his student-athletes and their families. Rather than protect them, he intentionally brought opportunists into the Auburn men's basketball program and, using his influence, introduced them to the student-athletes and their families."
The show-cause penalty is a punishment that can be imposed on NCAA coaches and administrators who are found to have committed violations. It requires the individual to explain to the NCAA why they should be allowed to continue working in their position. The individual is effectively suspended from their job until the NCAA is satisfied that they have shown adequate cause for their continued employment.
In the case of Chuck Person, the 10-year show-cause penalty means that if Person is hired by an NCAA member school during this period, he will be suspended from coaching duties until the end of the 2025-26 season. If he is hired after the penalty runs out, he will still be suspended for the first half of his first season back. This type of penalty is typically imposed on individuals who have committed serious violations, such as accepting bribes or engaging in academic fraud.
In addition to the show-cause penalty, Person was fired from his position at Auburn University. The university also self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2018-19 season and cut one scholarship in the 2020-21 season, with two more to be lost during the probation period. The NCAA fined Auburn $5,000 plus 3% of the program's budget, and the university will vacate any wins during which ineligible athletes played.
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Auburn's $5,000 fine and 3% budget reduction
The Auburn men's basketball team was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA, which also imposed a two-game suspension on coach Bruce Pearl. The NCAA panel found that former assistant coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor to steer prospects Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy to Auburn. Person, who was fired by Auburn after his arrest, avoided prison time when a federal judge ordered him to do 200 hours of community service in July 2019.
Auburn was fined $5,000 plus 3% of the men's basketball budget as part of its sanctions. Vince Nicastro, who was part of the press conference discussing the conclusion of Auburn basketball's NCAA investigation, was unsure which fiscal year the 3% reduction applied to. He said, "I think it's the current year. The NCAA staff will work with the school on determining the exact amount based on the information that they exchange."
The NCAA release did not name the coaches or players involved. However, the panel found that the players or their families received more than $10,000 from Person. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions stated that "the associate head coach violated the trust of his student-athletes and their families. Rather than protect them, he intentionally brought opportunists into the Auburn men's basketball program and, using his influence, introduced them to the student-athletes and their families."
Auburn self-imposed a postseason ban last season in advance of the NCAA's ruling, and the NCAA honoured that penalty as part of its punishment. The absence of an additional postseason ban and a relatively short suspension for Pearl is good news for Auburn, which has maintained that Pearl was not directly involved in the scandal. Auburn also cut one scholarship in the 2020-21 season and will lose two more during the probation period.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Auburn men's basketball team has been placed on probation for four years.
The NCAA panel found that former assistant coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor.
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games, and the team was fined $5,000 plus 3% of the men's basketball budget. Auburn also self-imposed a postseason ban and cut one scholarship in the 2020-21 season.
Auburn has been proactive and cooperative with the NCAA enforcement staff and Committee on Infractions. They have accepted all penalties and are committed to NCAA rules compliance.
