Helena Frye
The Auburn Tigers men's basketball team was placed on four years' probation by the NCAA in December 2021. The NCAA Committee on Infractions found that former associate head coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person had violated ethical conduct rules. Head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games for failing to monitor Person and promote compliance with the rules. Person was accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from a financial adviser to steer prospective players to the school. The NCAA also fined Auburn $5,000 plus 3% of its men's basketball program budget and imposed other penalties, including scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions. Auburn avoided a 2021-22 postseason ban but had self-imposed a one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season as part of its punishment for the NCAA violations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Status | On probation |
| Duration of probation | 4 years |
| Reason | Unethical conduct involving former associate head coach Chuck Person |
| Coach | Bruce Pearl |
| Coach's status | Suspended for 2 games |
| Reason for coach's suspension | Failed to monitor his assistant and adequately promote compliance |
| Fine | $5,000 plus 3% of the men's basketball budget |
| Scholarship | Loss of 2 scholarships during the probation period |
| Additional penalties | Recruiting restrictions |
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What You'll Learn
Auburn basketball was put on probation for four years
Auburn Tigers men's basketball was put on probation for four years in December 2021, along with a two-game suspension for head coach Bruce Pearl. The NCAA Committee on Infractions found that Pearl failed to adequately monitor former assistant coach Chuck Person, who was accused of accepting bribes from a financial advisor in exchange for arranging meetings with two players and their parents. Person was sentenced to community service and two years of probation after being indicted by a federal jury.
The NCAA also fined Auburn $5,000 plus 3% of its men's basketball program budget and imposed the loss of two scholarships during the probation period. The committee accepted Auburn's self-imposed penalties, including a one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season and scholarship reductions. The university will not appeal the committee's decision.
The Auburn basketball program was one of 12 men's basketball programs accused of violating NCAA rules as part of a wide-ranging FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball. The investigation, which began in 2017, revealed that Person had accepted at least $91,500 from a former financial advisor working as a cooperating witness for the FBI. Person facilitated some of the money to Auburn players' families as inducements for them to sign with certain financial advisors once they turned professional.
The NCAA concluded that Person violated ethical conduct rules and that Pearl, as head coach, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance. The committee's report stated that Pearl "violated head coach responsibility rules" and did not adequately monitor Person's activities. This is the second time Pearl has been sanctioned by the NCAA, with a previous three-year show-cause penalty in 2011 for allegedly misleading investigators about impermissible contact with recruits while coaching at Tennessee.
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Coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games
Auburn University's men's basketball team was placed on four years of probation by the NCAA, which also suspended the team's coach, Bruce Pearl, for two games. The NCAA Committee on Infractions determined that Pearl failed to adequately monitor former assistant coach Chuck Person and did not promote an atmosphere of compliance. Pearl's suspension was part of the sanctions imposed on the Auburn men's basketball program for unethical conduct involving Person.
The NCAA investigation revealed that Person, a former Auburn star and NBA player, accepted at least $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor, Louis Martin Blazer III, who was working as an informant for the FBI. Person was accused of facilitating some of the money to Auburn players' families as inducements for them to sign with specific financial advisors once they became professional players. The NCAA Committee on Infractions found that Pearl violated head coach responsibility rules by failing to adequately monitor Person and promote a culture of compliance within the team.
Pearl's suspension was announced on Friday, December 10, 2021, and he was set to miss the team's upcoming game against Nebraska in Atlanta on Saturday. This was the first of two games that Pearl would be suspended for, with the second game being against North Alabama on Tuesday, before returning for the team's trip to St. Louis on December 18.
The Auburn men's basketball program was placed on four years of probation and received additional sanctions, including a fine of $5,000 plus 3% of its men's basketball program budget, the loss of two scholarships during the probation period, and recruiting restrictions. Person received a 10-year show-cause penalty, meaning that any NCAA member school employing him during that period must restrict him from athletics-related duties.
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Former assistant coach Chuck Person was accused of accepting bribes
In September 2017, former Auburn assistant coach Chuck Person was arrested and charged with accepting bribes from a financial advisor, Louis Martin Blazer III, who was working as an informant for the federal government. Person was accused of accepting at least $91,500 in bribes and facilitating some of the money to Auburn players' families as inducements for them to sign with certain financial advisors once they turned professional. The government alleged that he provided $11,000 to one player's family and $7,500 to another's. Person was also accused of soliciting the bribes from Blazer.
The arrest was part of a wide-ranging FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball. Person was a former Auburn star and NBA player, and his actions were found to have violated ethical conduct rules. He was fired by Auburn in November 2017 and sentenced to community service and two years of probation in 2019. Person received a 10-year show-cause penalty, meaning that any NCAA member school employing him during that period must restrict him from any athletics-related duties unless they can show cause why the restrictions should not apply.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions placed the Auburn men's basketball program on four years of probation and suspended head coach Bruce Pearl for two games for failing to adequately monitor Person and promote an atmosphere of compliance. The committee accepted Auburn's self-imposed penalties, including a one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season and scholarship reductions. The university will not appeal the committee's decision.
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Auburn avoided a 2021-22 postseason ban
Auburn University's men's basketball team avoided a 2021-22 postseason ban, but the NCAA Committee on Infractions suspended head coach Bruce Pearl for two games and placed the team on four years' probation. The NCAA found that former associate head coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor to steer prospective players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy to the school. Person received a 10-year show-cause penalty, meaning any NCAA member school employing him during that period must restrict him from duties related to athletics.
The Auburn men's basketball program was also fined $5,000 plus 3% of its budget and had two scholarships reduced during the probation period. The team had already self-imposed a one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season and cut one scholarship. The NCAA accepted Auburn's self-imposed penalties, which also included recruiting restrictions.
The investigation into Auburn's basketball program was part of a wider FBI inquiry into corruption in college basketball, which included pay-for-play schemes involving Adidas employees and business managers. The NCAA concluded that Pearl violated head coach responsibility rules by failing to adequately monitor Person and promote an atmosphere of compliance. Pearl has maintained that he was not directly involved in the scandal, and this is his second time being sanctioned by the NCAA.
Auburn released a statement saying, "We are pleased that a conclusion has been reached in this case." "For the last four years, Auburn has been proactive and cooperative with the NCAA enforcement staff and Committee on Infractions. We have been and will continue to be committed to NCAA rules compliance. As such, we accept all penalties and are ready to move forward."
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Auburn was fined $5,000 plus 3% of the men's basketball budget
The Auburn Tigers men's basketball program was placed on probation for four years by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. The NCAA also fined Auburn $5,000 plus 3% of its men's basketball program budget, as well as imposed other penalties. The NCAA found that former assistant coach Chuck Person had violated ethical conduct rules by accepting at least $91,500 in bribes from a financial advisor who was working as an informant for the FBI. Person was accused of facilitating some of the money to Auburn players' families as incentives for them to sign with certain financial advisors once they turned pro. The NCAA also found that Person provided impermissible benefits to players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy over several years.
As a result of the NCAA's findings, Person received a 10-year show-cause penalty, meaning that any NCAA member school that hires him during that period must restrict him from duties related to athletics. Person avoided prison time and was instead sentenced to 200 hours of community service by a federal judge in July 2019. In addition to the fine, Auburn will also face a two-game suspension for head coach Bruce Pearl, who was found to have failed to adequately monitor Person and promote an atmosphere of compliance. The university will not appeal the committee's decision.
The Auburn men's basketball program was one of 12 that were alleged to have violated NCAA rules as part of a wide-ranging government investigation into corruption in college basketball. This investigation also included pay-for-play schemes involving Adidas employees and a business manager. Seven of the cases have been resolved through the traditional Committee on Infractions process, and Auburn, along with Alabama, Creighton, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, TCU, and USC, were each placed on at least two years' probation for violations committed by assistant coaches and staff members.
Auburn's fine of $5,000 plus 3% of its men's basketball program budget is a significant penalty, but it is important to note that the university avoided further NCAA Tournament consequences and a 2021-22 postseason ban. The university self-imposed a one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season as part of their punishment for the NCAA violations. This self-imposed ban was accepted by the NCAA and was seen as a mitigating factor in the penalties imposed on the university. Overall, Auburn's fine and other penalties are a result of the NCAA's efforts to enforce rules compliance and maintain the integrity of college basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Auburn University men's basketball team was placed on four years of probation by the NCAA starting in December 2021.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions found that former associate head coach and ex-NBA player Chuck Person accepted bribes from a financial advisor to steer prospective players to the school. Head coach Bruce Pearl was also found to have failed to adequately monitor Person and promote an atmosphere of compliance.
The NCAA handed down several sanctions to Auburn, including a $5,000 fine plus 3% of the men's basketball program budget, a two-game suspension for coach Bruce Pearl, the loss of two scholarships during the probation period, and various recruiting restrictions. Auburn avoided a 2021-22 postseason ban by self-imposing a ban the previous year.
