After 43 years, Hayden Fry and SMU reconcile

[dbone]

There was paying players to come to your school...which was rare until the late 1970's for a lot of reasons.

And there was spreading a little money around to help the players pay for living expenses after they were already at a school. (Up until 1972 players got 'laundry money' to help out)

Some coaches had their players sell their game tickets for spending money (UT). Other coaches threw a $20 or so to players for good hits or extra effort (Hayden, Dave Smith). This was not considered cheating by most coaches for a long time.

Today most poorer players get $4500 Pell grants and soon all P5 players $3k extra for living expenses.

The definition of cheating has changed.

[Stallion]

The NCAA comes down harder on recruiting inducements (promises of cars cash ,merchandise, monthly payroll etc)than they do alumni $20 Dollar handshakes or employment benefits from alumni to current students. The wording they often cite is that if gave a program a competitive advantage because the recruit would not have decided to attend that school without the inducement.

As for UT, its at least interesting to note when Mack Brown "invented" early spring recruiting that UT was getting 15-20 commits 11 months before signing date and in those days that was before the top recruits had been identified publically. They simply were invited to their two Junior Days in about the 2nd and 4th weeks of February, were offered at Junior Days and either committed on the spot or within days. Not much chance for recruiting inducements in that type of situation. I think your more likely to see recruiting inducements in the last months of recruiting and in those situations UT under Mack had one of the worst recruiting records of any powerhouse in the Country. They struck out with all of their top targets in late recruiting and have for years. I think UT is a unique situation but no I don't think their coaching staff have to offer recruiting inducements to recruit-now once they get on campus all bets are off because "Big Wad" alumni are dumbasses. . There simply is no evidence of major illegal recruiting inducements by UT in over about 3 decades and you can't say that the media has any problem publicizing the many felony and misdemeanor arrests of their athletes. If I'm wrong identify one example or hint of an alleged minor or major illegal recruiting inducement by UT that has occurred in the last 3 decades. There aren't any-and you can't say that about most Southern powerhouses. Not one of the arrested athletes or athletes who have been dropped from the program to clear recruiting space has ratted them out either-and there are 5-6 former super studs every year cut from the program

[Rebel10]

Today most poorer players get $4500 Pell grants and soon all P5 players $3k extra for living expenses.

The definition of cheating has changed.

Per year not per month.

[PlanoStang]

Texas was a pretty mediocre football program until DKR came around.

[smusportspage]

Ok, UT does keep those athletes happy once they get on campus. Happy, Happy, Happy. Some would like you to believe it is all ok. To me cheating is cheating. Steroids, deflated footballs, flat screen tvs in 2,000 a month condos. Whatever, just don't pretend it is not cheating just because it occurs after they sign.

[Mexmustang]

During Hayden's years, I remember UT having to stop "ticket sales" by athletes of their personal ticket allocations. The NCAA was stifled from penalizing them because it wasn't considered a violation at the time. If I recall the purchases were coordinated, and not limited to face value sales. Then we get slapped for the $100 handshakes...

Even under Brown, each player had an assigned alumni sponsor--taking care of car repairs, tires, legal assistance and buying expensive dinners and entertainment. I can't verify the car repairs or tires, just common knowledge, but I was at two of these such dinners at Lakeway with then current players (and my daughter) and their friends and the Dom and Chrystal flowed-- Same "sponsor" paid for both dinners and wasn't present...

[dbone]

The NCAA comes down harder on recruiting inducements (promises of cars cash ,merchandise, monthly payroll etc)than they do alumni $20 Dollar handshakes or employment benefits from alumni to current students. The wording they often cite is that if gave a program a competitive advantage because the recruit would not have decided to attend that school without the inducement.

As for UT, its at least interesting to note when Mack Brown "invented" early spring recruiting that UT was getting 15-20 commits 11 months before signing date and in those days that was before the top recruits had been identified publically. They simply were invited to their two Junior Days in about the 2nd and 4th weeks of February, were offered at Junior Days and either committed on the spot or within days. Not much chance for recruiting inducements in that type of situation. I think your more likely to see recruiting inducements in the last months of recruiting and in those situations UT under Mack had one of the worst recruiting records of any powerhouse in the Country. They struck out with all of their top targets in late recruiting and have for years. I think UT is a unique situation but no I don't think their coaching staff have to offer recruiting inducements to recruit-now once they get on campus all bets are off because "Big Wad" alumni are dumbasses. . There simply is no evidence of major illegal recruiting inducements by UT in over about 3 decades and you can't say that the media has any problem publicizing the many felony and misdemeanor arrests of their athletes. If I'm wrong identify one example or hint of an alleged minor or major illegal recruiting inducement by UT that has occurred in the last 3 decades. There aren't any-and you can't say that about most Southern powerhouses. Not one of the arrested athletes or athletes who have been dropped from the program to clear recruiting space has ratted them out either-and there are 5-6 former super studs every year cut from the program

Stallion...I agree...UT largely didn't need to induce recruits...and recruiting inducements were usually hit much harder than paying existing players..but...
- 1985 we lost 45 scholarships largely for paying 1 guy to come (and our previous history).
- 1986 UT admitted to a multi year multi player money machine with coaches and boosters named as payers...but stated most infractions were just money spread around and only 1 inducement for a recruit...result? Nothing.
- 1987 we admitted to a money machine...but no inducements for recruits. Result? DP

I'm tired of being the poster child for cheating. Everything we did back then that was "cheating" was customary and is even standard practice now (except for paying players to come). Meals, spending money, travel, clothes? All standard...even our "payroll" was less than these kids get in Pell Grants now.

So instead of allowing Hayden or UT or anybody else trying to say they were pure and we were bad...I say BS. We cheated...you cheated...no hall passes.

[dbone]

During Hayden's years, I remember UT having to stop "ticket sales" by athletes of their personal ticket allocations. The NCAA was stifled from penalizing them because it wasn't considered a violation at the time. If I recall the purchases were coordinated, and not limited to face value sales. Then we get slapped for the $100 handshakes...

Even under Brown, each player had an assigned alumni sponsor--taking care of car repairs, tires, legal assistance and buying expensive dinners and entertainment. I can't verify the car repairs or tires, just common knowledge, but I was at two of these such dinners at Lakeway with then current players (and my daughter) and their friends and the Dom and Chrystal flowed-- Same "sponsor" paid for both dinners and wasn't present...

OK...I admit...UT does get under my skin a bit. God how they cheated...yes, they sold their tickets and had everything comped around town. When caught...NCAA banned giving all players game tickets in 1985. Result? UT players just put boosters names on tickets at will call and got paid anyway. When they got caught for that, Deloss told media it was no big deal and he wasn't reporting it to NCAA. NCAA never investigated. Case closed.

[Topper]

In the early 70s the Texas Legislature printing office had several UT players on its payroll for summer jobs. Problem was that the Lege printing was contracted out and there was no printing office. Newspaper accounts of the incident were hilarious. Saint DKR said that he and the AD looked into it and didn't determine that anything inappropriate had taken place. No NCAA investigation, no sanctions. No investigative reporting. End of story.

Then SMU almost immediately went on probation for paying bonuses (players from the Dave Smith era will confirm that they were very small change) for fumble recoveries, etc. DMN, Times Herald, NCAA, SMU faculty, go nuts and all hell breaks loose. Smith fired. Wheels for the DP start turning.