Miami Hurricanes Scandal: Some Nevin Shapiro Claims Confirmed, Others Denied By Former Equipment Manager

An attorney for Nevin Shapiro has provided the NCAA with a deposition in which former Miami Hurricanes equipment manager Sean Allen confirms some of Shapiro's claims about the school, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Shapiro, who is serving a 20-year sentence in a New Orleans prison for involvement with a Ponzi scheme, is a former Miami booster who has made a slew of allegations regarding the school and has been actively trying to bring down the athletics department by going to the NCAA.

Allen's deposition backs up some of Shapiro's statements, but denies others.

In Allen's deposition, obtained by Miami New Times, Allen told the bankruptcy trustee that he has no knowledge of Shapiro giving DeQuan Jones' family $10,000 to ensure that he stuck by his commitment to UM - among the most damaging of Shapiro's claims. Allen also said he has no knowledge of Shapiro buying cars or prostitutes for players, as Shapiro alleged.

Allen confirmed in the deposition that Shapiro gave him $3,000 to take Ray Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye and Andre Dubose to a strip club during their UM recruiting trip. Armstrong and Dye signed with Miami eventually, and DuBose opted for UF.

Allen confirmed that dozens of players took improper gifts from Shapiro, mostly in the form of parties at the club Mansion or partying with him on his yacht. That group included Devin Hester, Jon Beason and Kyle Wright, among others.

Allen also confirmed former Central quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey visited Shapiro's suite and had dinner at Benihana's, at Shapiro's expense.

Allen, who worked as Shapiro's personal aid from late 2007 to 2008, told The New Times that he spoke to the NCAA last spring but did not answer a lot of their questions. "There was truth in what Nevin told Yahoo, but it was blown way out of proportion," Allen said.

Shapiro's attorney commented via text message on Tuesday, "The NCAA has had the Sean Allen depo and their view is that Mr. Allen was not being forthcoming."

It remains to be seen just how much impact the deposition has in the final outcome of the Shapiro allegations.

For all news and information regarding the Miami Hurricanes, please visit The 7th Floor.

In a series of angry emails to the Miami Herald, former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, who's in New Orleans prison for 20 years for a Ponzi scheme, threatened to reveal more information that could condemn the Hurricanes football program further. Miami officials are confident, according to the Herald, that Shapiro's threat of bringing the NCAA "death penalty," the same one used to effectively end SMU's football program in the late 1980s, on the 'Canes is an empty one.

Some of Shapiro's claims of cash dealings have been proved false by the NCAA, the Herald reported, including any wrongdoings surrounding current basketball player DeQuan Jones. There clearly was some wrongdoing going on, and players who were involved in the investigation but not at Miami have apparently given incriminating interviews with investigators. Others have abstained, according to the Herald. What's more, the NCAA hasn't contacted many former players named in the original Yahoo! Sports report, and even if they had, they aren't required to assist in the investigation.

The Herald doesn't believe that the death penalty will be leveled either. Here's the end of their in-depth report (which you should read in is entirety):

Michael Ward, who's in charge of Newark's FBI division (which investigated Shapiro's Ponzi scheme), said Shapiro's allegations "against the players would not rise to the level of a federal crime. There is no FBI investigation of Shapiro's allegations."

Overall, Shapiro sounds like a desperate man, willing to say anything to exact revenge and still furious that "once the [ex-UM] players turned pro, they turned their back on me.'' Incredibly, he says of himself, "I'm more of a victim than a Ponzi schemer and assailant." The federal government doesn't see it that way.

For all news and updates on the Hurricanes, visit The 7th Floor.

According to court documents related to his bankruptcy case, Nevin Shapiro is set to be reimbursed $83,000 by the University of Miami related to expenses incurred in various violations across their athletics programs.

That number includes $3,000 in penalties levied by the NCAA on eleven current Miami athletes who received money from Shapiro. The payment also officially completes the university's obligations in Shapiro's bankruptcy case.

Shapiro, a prominent Miami booster currently serving a 30-year sentence for operating a $900 million Ponzi scheme.

Miami is still under investigation due to the allegations levied by Shapiro in a tell-all interview with Yahoo! Sports reporter Charles Robinson. From prison, where he is serving time for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, Shapiro outlined many violations that took place between himself and athletes on the Miami football and basketball teams between 2002 and 2010.

For more on Shapiro and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden has been one of the most highly rumored candidates to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State. Considering the ongoing NCAA turmoil surrounding Miami, plus the fact that he's played and coached linebackers at PSU, the speculation makes sense. Even though the Nittany Lions' troubles make Miami's look like a Miami crowd attempting to fill Beaver Stadium, if you will.

That speculation will not die down thanks to this quote:

@ByTimReynolds Here's the exact Al Golden quote from ACC teleconference today. "I believe I'm going to be the head coach at Miami in 2012, that's correct."    

The Canes have already given up a 2011 bowl trip in hopes of staving off near-maximum NCAA penalties due to the Nevin Shapiro scandal. This may be the last story about the two biggest scandals of the sports year colliding. Remember when you were aghast at Miami's? Amazing thing to consider, since the Miami adventure seems like harmless fun compared to the Jerry Sandusky travesty.

Related: Jerry Sandusky fallout, replacing Joe Paterno, and Penn State's movement to support sexual abuse survivors. For more on the Nittany Lions, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries. More college football news.

Of all those thrown in harm's way by Nevin Shapiro's claims about Miami Hurricanes football, few landed quite as hard as new head coach Al Golden. He's done nothing wrong, but has to lead the program into what will certainly be its darkest era anyway. On that note, the school has approached Golden about re-doing his five-year contract, his agent Brett Senior told CBS Sports.

Whether that means a new escape clause, Senior didn't say, but he did reference "options."

Two months ago Golden was asked about whether he's reconsidered signing on with the U, knowing what he knows now:

No, no, no. We'll get through this. Sometimes, as a coach, you don't know what the source is. You can see the symptoms when you take a new job ... I knew there were symptoms here when I took the job, otherwise I wouldn't have the opportunity. ... we found out there were more than just symptoms. ... But this is a great job.    

Senior also pointed out the Canes could be "crippled" for half a decade by their still-brewing NCAA troubles. That's actually a low estimate.

We'll have more here on the Miami football scandal as it drags along over the coming years. To check in with Canes fans, head over to Miami blog The 7th Floor.

Suspended Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Aldarius Johnson has decided not to stick around and see whether the program allows him back on the field, the Miami Herald reports. As Barry Jackson writes:

Johnson is on track to graduate in December, and UM has shown no interest in reinstating him.

UM told him he needed to be more honest with the NCAA, but Johnson stuck by his original story, that he played in a bowling-for-dollars event with other players and Nevin Shapiro, but that he did not receive any of the other benefits that Shapiro alleged.

Johnson was sidelined on August 30 in such a way that made it clear he wouldn't be let back on the field along with eight other suspended Canes players. For one, they were all given a specific number of games to miss, which they've fulfilled. Johnson received the dreaded "indefinitely" tag.

A quick check of NFL mock draft outlets reveals Johnson is going to have some work to do if he wants to catch on with a pro team.

For more on the Canes, head to Miami Hurricanes blog The 7th Floor.

Luther Campbell has followed through on his threats and filed a lawsuit against Nevin Shapiro, the disgraced booster who spilled the beans about Miami in an exhaustive Yahoo! investigative report. Shapiro alleged widespread violations during his time as a booster, but it was one quote that caught Campbell's eyes. Shapiro's nickname, "Little Luke," drew the ire of Campbell before, and now serves as the basis for a lawsuit.

The Sun Sentinel explains.

Shapiro's quote on Campbell that prompted the suit: "Luther Campbell was the first uncle who took care of players [at UM] before I got going. His role was diminished by the NCAA and the school and someone needed to pick up that mantle. That someone was me. He was 'Uncle Luke' and I became 'Little Luke.'"
[...]
According to the lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Shapiro "has slandered and defamed [Campbell] because this is untrue, false, knowingly so and the product of malicious intent.''

No idea whether Campbell has any grounds for the suit, but does it even matter? This has the potential to be an awesome legal battle, so let's all sit back and just watch the show.

For more on the Canes, head to Miami Hurricanes blog The 7th Floor.

Former Miami Hurricanes tight ends and special teams coach Joe Pannunzio was named in Charles Robinson's initial report as one who "facilitated [Nevin Shapiro] having improper contact with recruits." According to various sources, Pannunzio was on hand on multiple occasions while Shapiro met with players.

Now the Alabama Crimson Tide's director of football operations, Pannunzio has again been accused of setting up Shapiro with incoming football players. According to the Miami Herald, the father of a player who was mentioned in Robinson's report said:

"How did my son even meet this creep? He would never have met Shapiro without Pannunzio," said the father, who requested anonymity because the NCAA has asked the players not to reveal what they said. "To have one of the coaches deliver him up to this guy, it's incredible."

Little by little, the first wave of reporting is being verified and supplemented by others.

For more on the Canes, head to Miami Hurricanes blog The 7th Floor.

Senior Jacory Harris will be the starting quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes against Ohio State this week. Harris is coming off a one game suspension for receiving prohibited benefits, but is clear for the moment to play until further notice.

Harris was the likely starter going into the season, besting Stephen Morris in the quarterback competition in fall practice, before the NCAA handed down one game suspensions to Harris and seven other Hurricanes for receiving improper benefits from rogue booster and convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro during their recruitment. All eight were forced to repay their benefits received and forced to sit out the first week of the season.

Harris returns to a team whose passing game struggled without him in the opener against the Terps. Stephen Morris threw for 195 yards and looked efficient at times, but threw two interceptions including a critical game-ending pick six on the penultimate drive of the game.

New Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden thought he was taking on a fixer-upper when he accepted the Canes job this summer, but he had no idea he was walking into a dilapidated shanty filled with nests of giant snakes and probably bears.

So when he was asked by WQAM in Miami whether he's had second thoughts, I guess it's good to see he was emphatically optimistic [Sports Radio Interviews has audio and the transcript]:

No, no, no. We'll get through this. Sometimes, as a coach, you don't know what the source is. You can see the symptoms when you take a new job. It's like putting a Band Aid on a cut. If you don't sew it shut, it's going to continue to bleed. I knew there were symptoms here when I took the job, otherwise I would have the opportunity. ... I knew they were there and obviously we found out there were more than just symptoms. ... But this is a great job.

Golden also says he feels the suspensions delivered by the NCAA were fair, though he isn't sure exactly what each player was suspended for. He's not revealing anything about Aldarius Johnson's suspension and scoffs at the notion of the NCAA's investigation resulting in the death penalty for the Canes.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Canes fans, head over to Miami blog The 7th Floor.

Remember: the initial Yahoo! Sports report on Nevin Shapiro's involvement with the Miami Hurricanes may have seemed sprawling and exhaustive, but it actually held back. The NCAA has already found minor improprieties committed by two players who weren't named in the report.

Now there's another alleged violation to add to former recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt's tally.

Albert Armstrong, father of the suspended Ray-Ray Armstrong, wonders why Hurtt, now at Louisville, isn't being punished, but the Canes defensive back is:

What I heard Ray-Ray got punished for was for staying with [former recruiting coordinator] Clint Hurtt. How is that supposed to be a violation when these coaches exposed these kids to this stuff? I just don't like that all these kids have to suffer and we haven't heard anything about the coaches yet.

Hurtt was originally claimed to have delivered recruits to Shapiro. When Armstrong was suspended, it was due to his receiving an impermissible five-night stay, but it wasn't until this claim that Hurtt's name was attached to that violation.

The investigation still has miles to go, so Hurtt and many others could still wind up being drawn in. Just because Hurtt hasn't yet been docked doesn't mean he won't be, though Cards coach Charlie Strong doesn't seem too worried. Not that Charlie Strong ever seems all that worried.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Canes fans, head over to Miami blog The 7th Floor.

While the focus is on the eight Miami Hurricane football players who will serve suspensions for their role in the alleged violations posited by Nevin Shapiro, there are also five players on the roster who somehow escaped suspensions altogether and will see the field when Miami's season opens this weekend.

Brandon McGee, JoJo Nicolas, Micanor Regis & Vaughn Telemaque have been cleared by the NCAA to play in every game. They must still make repayments on the gifts they received from Shapiro, which total less than $100.

Linebacker Marcus Robinson was cleared of any NCAA violations and would not be penalized.

While things look grim for the Miami football program in general, that's at least some small token of good news to keep them going.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

The Miami Hurricanes' strategy of declaring about a dozen players ineligible to encourage the NCAA to come to a quick decision on which ones can and can't play: well, it happened. Tuesday, the NCAA announced* eight of those players must repay benefits they received from crooked booster Nevin Shapiro -- no, they won't have to repay Shapiro. It will all go to charity.

Those eight players will all serve varying suspensions, ranging from one to six games.

The one-game club lists QB Jacory Harris, WR Travis Benjamin, DL Marcus Forston, DL Adewale Ojomo and LB Sean Spence. DB Ray-Ray Armstrong and DL Dyron Dye will miss four games, while DL Olivier Vernon must sit for all six. Yeah, that's a whole lot of defensive linemen missing significant time, 

At least there aren't very many big games in that first four, right? Just the conference opener against Maryland and incoming Ohio State. Oh man. Vernon will also miss games against Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

* And just in case you had any doubts about Shapiro's claims, the NCAA cites some very specific dollar amounts in there. "Approximately $738," son!

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Just because most of the Miami football players named by Nevin Shapiro to have received benefits and gifts are no longer associated with the program doesn't mean they won't have to pay back what they received, according to one lawyer.

A subpoena seeking to recoup cash value for anything received in the Nevin Shapiro scandal is coming for 72 current or former UM athletes and anyone who doesn't cooperate could find themselves in a lot of trouble.

"They can’t ignore it — it’s a subpoena issued by a bankruptcy court," Freedman said. "If they ignore it, we will seek an order from the court to compel them to respond.

"If they don’t respond, they will face a contempt order."

All of this is coming from a bankruptcy trustee seeking to recoup anything that can be used to help pay off the millions of dollars Shapiro owes investors that he duped in his Ponzi scheme.

According to a lawyer for the trustee, each of the 72 players alleged by Shapiro to have received benefits will receive a letter explaining the situation and what they must do. Anyone who does not come forward or provide truthful information could find themselves in trouble.

Another day, another layer added to this whole mess.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

If you're a fan of Miami Hurricanes football and you're hoping to find out soon what players can play against the Maryland Terrapins and which players can't, today is not your lucky day. The release of the Hurricanes' depth chart is still being delayed as head coach Al Golden and the university wait on the NCAA to inform them whether or not eight players are eligible. The good news is that Golden says he expects to hear from the NCAA within 48 hours.

The biggest name player with eligibility concerns is senior quarterback Jacory Harris, who has been involved in a battle with sophomore Stephen Morris for the starting quarterback job. Golden has called the race a dead heat, but if the NCAA decision is delayed too long, questions about Harris's eligibility could cause his decision to be made for him.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Miami president Donna Shalala called the Nevin Shapiro scandal "quite painful" in an open letter published Sunday in the Miami Herald. Shalala pledged the university's full cooperation with the ongoing NCAA investigation, promising that Miami "will move on stronger and be better prepared for the future."

"Here's my commitment: I will do, and we will do, everything possible to find the truth, learn from any mistakes and take measures to prevent any such behavior from happening again."

Shalala's letter comes following the news that up to 13 players have been declared ineligible by the athletic department, including quarterback Jacory Harris. So far, 65 current or former players have been implicated in the scandal, receiving a number of extra benefits from Shapiro including cash, cars and women.

The letter was Shalala's third official statement on the matter. She has yet to open herself up to questioning, however.

Be sure to follow our ongoing storystream for more breaking updates.

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris has reportedly been deemed ineligible as the NCAA investigates his role in the massive scandal involving alleged improper benefits from former booster Nevin Shapiro. Harris is reportedly one of eight Miami football players whom the Hurricanes declared ineligible as a proactive measure, with the NCAA set to make a final decision shortly. But the news may not be all bad for Harris and the Hurricanes.

Harris reportedly believes he will be ruled eligible, and Miami has asked the NCAA to expedite its ruling in an effort to receive some kind of resolution before the season begins.

A person with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that Harris is one of eight players declared ineligible by the university after an investigation turned up some proof that former booster Nevin Shapiro provided extra benefits. The school has asked the NCAA if the ineligible players may be reinstated in time for the season-opener.

Which players were deemed ineligible, and exactly how many, is still a mystery, with head coach Al Golden only saying some players had been ruled ineligible by the university. The players may be reinstated in the next week, or may be handed suspensions for their involvement in the scandal.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

There has been some confusion regarding exactly how many football players Miami will declare ineligible, though Hurricanes head coach Al Golden has confirmed the school has officially declared players ineligible. The official count, according to the Associated Press, is eight from the team's football squad.

Golden confirmed "a number" of his Hurricanes players have been declared ineligible, according to the Associated Press's Tim Reynolds, due to their connections with the Nevin Shapiro scandal. The AP doesn't name names for all of the players ruled ineligible, but starting quarterback Jacory Harris is expected to be among them.

The act of declaring the players ineligible doesn't necessarily mean that any of the players will be forced to miss Miami's first game, scheduled for Sept. 5 at Maryland. Under NCAA rules, when a school finds violations have occurred, the athlete is declared ineligible so the NCAA may begin a reinstatement process -- a process Golden says the Hurricanes began on Thursday evening.

The next step is that the NCAA will now review each player case and decide whether or not to reinstate them along with how many games any ineligible players must sit out, but there isn't an exact timetable for the process.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Do I hear eight Miami Hurricanes football players ineligible? I hear eight. Do I hear 12? I hear 12. Do I hear 13 Miami Hurricanes football players ineligible? ESPN.com's Heather Dinich hears 13. Sold!

The number can't grow much higher, as only 15 total athletes had eligibility issues in the first place, according to president Donna Shalala. So at least we're almost done as far as escalation goes. No specific players were named this time around.

The move by Miami is to go ahead and declare players ineligible well in advance of the team's first game in hopes of giving the NCAA plenty of time to declare them otherwise. For a successful application of the tactic, see Auburn's brief shelving of Cam Newton last year.

Mainly, you don't want to have the NCAA do the declaring ineligible for you.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

The University of Miami has declared eight student-athletes ineligible and has asked the NCAA to initiate the reinstatement process, according to the Miami Herald. All eight athletes are believed to be football players.

According to the source, quarterback Jacory Harris is one of the ineligible athletes.

The university was thought to declare 12 athletes ineligible; however, Miami chose not to do so for the other four since the amount of benefits each allegedly received from Nevin Shapiro totaled fewer  than $100. Those four are allowed to pay back those amounts, something usually done via charity.

The NCAA will now review each player case and decide whether or not to reinstate them, along with how many games any ineligible players must sit out.

According to coach Al Golden, all 12 of the players involved in the allegations practiced on Thursday.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

The Miami football program is squarely in the middle of the NCAA's crosshairs, and with the investigation ongoing, it appears as many as 12 players could be declared ineligible before Miami opens its season on September 6th.

As the Miami Herald reported Thursday, the school is expected to rule a 12 players ineligible within the week, a group that includes the Hurricanes' starting quarterback, Jacory Harris. The action from Miami is said to be a way of preempting NCAA action in the hopes that the NCAA could reinstate the suspended players in time for Miami's season opener, Septemeber 6th at Maryland.

As a source told the Herald, “If those players aren’t first declared ineligible, then reinstated, before they participate and they’re found to have violated rules, the school will be in much deeper trouble,” the source said.

Indeed, more than anything else, the news is a sign that Miami's not willing to risk incurring stiffer penalties, and on a basic level, the self-imposed suspensions would be a pretty clear concession that a number of current Miami players broke one or more NCAA rules. The only question, then, would be whether the NCAA shows athletes like Harris any mercy.

University of Miami President Donna Shalala confirmed in a video message that 15 current athletes are having their eligibility reviewed because of possible rules violations in connection with former booster Nevin Shapiro's claim that he provided them with improper benefits. She said the investigation was a joint effort between school compliance officers and the NCAA. Beyond that news, though, little light was shed on the situation.

"I know there are many unanswered questions about the investigation, about the process and consequences," Shalala said in the video. "With NCAA investigators on campus during the past week and so many unknowns, there’s not much we can say beyond our written statements. It’s frustrating for us, for me, to be unable to speak more freely or to answer questions. However we must protect the integrity of investigation as it proceeds."

Shalala said the school had retained outside council that specializes in NCAA investigations and that she had directed the athletics department to fully cooperate.

Shapiro has claimed that he provided dozens of athletes with money, cars, prostitutes and other gifts. He is currently in jail for his roll in a multi-million dollar ponzi scheme.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

The latest name to be caught in Nevin Shapiro's web of deceit, allegations and violations related to Miami Hurricanes football is Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt, whom had multiple phone conversations with Shapiro in 2006 over the then-vacant head coaching job at UM.

According to Nutt’s cell phone records obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through the Freedom of Information Act, Nutt spoke with Shapiro just after Larry Coker had left the school.

According to records, Nutt called Shapiro at 10:17 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2006 and the call lasted 30 minutes. Nutt then hung up and called his agent, Jimmy Sexton, before contacting Shapiro again that same day. Nutt also called Hernandez four times in a span of four hours that day.

Nutt also spoke with UM assistant AD Tony Hernandez shortly after speaking with Shapiro, so feel free to put two-and-two together on that one.

Does it mean Nutt's in trouble? Not really. It's just one more example of just how involved Nevin Shapiro was in the affairs of Canes football. It's becoming harder and harder for anyone related to the program to claim otherwise.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Former Miami Hurricanes RB Tyrone Moss was one of dozens of football players named by Nevin Shapiro in recorded interviews with federal agents in his allegations against the university.

Moss was said to have received a $1,000 cash payment from Shapiro and spent time on his $1.6 million yacht. Moss even confirmed as much in an interview with Charles Robinson.

The interview that Moss gave to Robinson was taped and that tape has been played for the Miami Herald. That’s good to know because Moss is now telling the Herald that he never did any of that stuff and didn’t have anything to do with Shapiro.

“I wanted to clear the air and let everyone know I’ve never received 1,000 dollars from Nevin Shapiro. Nor have I ever been on his boat or anything like that. Someone has taken my name and tried to destroy my name. I have always been loyal to Miami. Miami is a great place. Miami has been good to my family and good to me. I had some of my best years at the University of Miami. I just wanted to clear the air and make a statement that I have never taken any money or been on any boat like that. For something like this to happen is just crazy.”

“I don’t care how it was quoted, I don’t care how it was written or I don’t care how it was said. But just to let everyone know, I have never been involved with Nevin. I have no ties to Nevin."

Moss seems to be taking a page of Newt Gingrich’s playbook by using the “If you use my quote, you are misquoting me” defense. I don’t know how well that’ll hold up, but at least Moss has put it out there.

The Miami Hurricanes scandal will be commented on by just about everyone available that was even remotely connected to the school during what can essentially be considered the Nevin Shapiro era. The latest person to stick their comments into foray is former athletic director Paul Dee.

Dee, the school's athletic director from 1993 up until he stepped down in 2008, told the Miami Herald that he is "absolutely sickened" by the allegations and that Shapiro should have been on the athletic department's radar. Dee's reasoning for that stems from an earlier report that said former football coach Randy Shannon once warned his players about Shapiro's shady acts.

"At that point, if our coach is uncomfortable with someone, he should tell the compliance officer, ‘There's something about that guy I don't like,' and then we can check him out, keep an eye on him, and maybe ward him off if we need to. Maybe even hire a private investigator. The key to preventing all this is leadership and compliance. But you always question how much is too much enforcement."

In this case, it seems, one might also want to question how much is too little enforcement as well.

Of the many, many crazy allegations in Nevin Shapiro's admissions about his time as a booster for Miami Hurricanes athletics, the bounties he allegedly put on injuring opposing players is among the most disturbing.

According to the Yahoo! Sports report, Shapiro put bounties of specific players, including Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and offered $5,000 to any Miami player who knocked him out of the game.

When asked about whether or not he thought that was the case, the current Denver Broncos quarterback sure hoped not...

"That’s never what you want in sports. You’re playing to win. It’s a violent game, people get hit, people get hurt. But to go out there purposely trying to hurt someone, I don’t believe in that at all. That’s not why we play the game," Tebow said. "I don’t think the Miami Hurricanes players went out there trying to hurt me. I had quite a few friends on that team as well. I think there were a lot of good players on that team, good kids on that team."

Not that they had much of a chance. Florida won that 2008 game 26-3.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

One figure central to the timeline that Nevin Shapiro laid out in his alleged NCAA violation free-for-all with the Miami Hurricanes is a figure that is rarely ever mentioned by name and yet was right in the middle of it all. Former head football coach Randy Shannon.

Shannon has so far escaped much negative attention, which is something of a miracle. He'll probably come out of this looking somewhat better now that it's come out that, according to CaneSport.com, Shannon threatened assistant coaches and players with their jobs and spots on the team if they had anything to do with Shapiro.

"When asked by CaneSport to confirm the details provided by another source in attendance for Shannon’s talks at the team meetings, a former Miami football staffer no longer employed by the school responded "Absolutely" when asked if he remembered Shannon specifically telling Miami players to stay away from Shapiro."

Of course, that didn't stop tons of players and three assistant coaches from getting involved with Shapiro, which should tell you just how big the booster's pull was at the time.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

One of the most well-known former Miami Hurricanes football players has come out with some not-so-nice words for Nevin Shapiro, the former UM booster who has blown the whistle on thousands of alleged UM NCAA violations. Michael Irvin played at Miami over 20 years ago so he's come out swinging against Shapiro.

Irvin was on ESPN Radio Los Angeles Thursday morning and talked about some of his thoughts on the man he calls a "snake and rapist".

I called him a snake and rapist because think about it this this way...he's snaking people, but you are a rapist. How do you walk into someone's home. Forget football. Forget the University of Miami. I don't care about it. How do you walk into someone's home and sit and eat dinner with them? Watch and look at their kids? Look at all the things in their home that they worked hard over the years to gather and then you take a check and then you go and blow away all of their savings? Man it doesn't get any lower than this. [In reference to Nevin Shapiro's $930 million dollar Ponzi scheme] It doesn't get any lower than this. You sit with people and you not only take money from these people and you go here and you rape these kids of their future.

While I understand where Irvin is coming from, some of the blame has to lay at the feet of the Miami athletics department. Shapiro provided a substantial amount of evidence to Yahoo! Sports which clearly points to UM aiding this behavior.

All things considered, Irvin recommends a lighter punishment for Miami.

I hope all things are considered as to where the source is and where it is coming from in all of it with the kids. A lot of them have gone. There is still maybe 12 or 13 kids who are still on the squad. I hope they leave it in a place and I hope they consider coach Al Golden.

Signs point to a harsher punishment for Miami. The NCAA is investigating though we're not sure when a ruling will come down.

The Miami Hurricanes scandal has taken quite a few twists and turns in the days since the public was made aware of Nevin Shapiro and all of the issues that came with him. Fortunately for fans of the Hurricanes, however, it seems that the school will be able to avoid the "death penalty" and other serious consequences.

The NCAA's vice president for enforcement, Julie Roe Lach, spoke to the New York Times on Wednesday regarding possible penalties. Though she wasn't allowed to speak directly about Miami considering it is an open and active case, she did note that there has been little discussion regarding the most serious penalties possible.

"I have not heard it turn much to television bans or the death penalty," Lach told the Times. "The majority of the ideas or support I keep hearing relate toward suspensions or postseason bans being the most powerful."

The Times reports that the television ban hasn't been handed down to a major program in 15 years while the "death penalty" was last enforced with Southern Methodist University as ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series highlighted earlier this year.

The reason the television ban isn't considered an option is that it would hurt all of the ACC schools that weren't involved in the Miami scandal.

"The problem with a television ban is that you penalize a conference of which they are a member, and you penalize all the schools that have contracts with them," David Swank, former chairman of the N.C.A.A. Committee on Infractions, told the Times.

So it seems, at worst, the Hurricanes will lose a bevy of scholarships and be subject to postseason bans. Considering the alternatives, that can probably be chalked up in the win column for the 'Canes.

Of all the Miami Hurricane athletes named in Nevin Shapiro's scathing admissions about NCAA violations that happened while he was a booster for the program, Vince Wilfork's name stands out.

The former Hurricane and current New England Patriots defensive tackle is said to have received a $50,000 lump sum payment meant to secure Wilfork’s commitment to Shapiro’s sports agency, various other cash gifts, paid trips to nightclubs, meals, fishing trips, a washer and dryer as well as $1,250 in "bounty payments" on the field.

Wilfork took to Twitter Wednesday night to make his first major comments on the matter and, as expected, his comment is that he has none.

And yes, @Mrs75 is Bianca Wilfork, his wife.

Sooner or later, be it the NCAA or some kind of legal entity, Wilfork will likely have to answer to the validity of the many, many claims. Until then, he's taking the smart (albeit much less exciting) road.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Kirby Hocutt is the current athletic director at Texas Tech. That by itself is not particularly noteworthy. But the fact he was the AD at Miami from 2008 until February of this year is definitely something worth mentioning, especially on the day when the sports world has been focused on Coral Gables and the smoking wreckage Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson's report of impermissible benefits has left in its path. 

To make matters worse, the infamous "person familiar with the situation" told the AP on Wednesday that much of Nevin Shapiro's access to the Hurricane programs allowed by Hocutt.

Hocutt, the person said, allowed Shapiro on the sideline before football games at times during the 2008 season, plus invited him to select gatherings reserved for the athletic department's biggest donors.

"That's what Kirby did," the person said. "His No. 1 job was to raise money and this Nevin Shapiro guy was one of the few people Kirby could get to write checks."

If true, obviously that would be huge, and would make the list of allegations against Miami even worse (if that's possible at this point). Wednesday evening, Hocutt issued a statement regarding these claims: 

"There are membership levels within the Hurricane Club at the University of Miami. While I was athletics director, the benefits and experiences Mr. Shapiro received were consistent with those provided to others at his membership level. I never personally approved any special access for Mr. Shapiro to university athletics events or programs."

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

University of Miami president Donna Shalala has made her first statement on the ongoing NCAA investigation into Miami's relationship with Hurricanes booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro, and it's predictably heavy on gravitas and "We will get to the bottom of this"-type talk.

As a member of the University family, I am upset, disheartened, and saddened by the recent allegations leveled against some current and past student-athletes and members of our Athletic Department. Make no mistake—I regard these allegations with the utmost of seriousness and understand the concern of so many of you. We will vigorously pursue the truth, wherever that path may lead, and I have insisted upon complete, honest, and transparent cooperation with the NCAA from our staff and students. Our counsel is working jointly with the NCAA Enforcement Division in a thorough and meticulous investigation, which will require our patience.

Shalala has been Miami's president since 2001, making her the only president at the helm of the university during the years Shapiro allegedly gave thousands of impermissible benefits to scores of Hurricanes players. And Shalala appeared with Shapiro for at least one fund-raiser at a Miami bowling alley, as evidenced by a picture Yahoo! Sports obtained from Shapiro.

It's not hard to believe that Donna Shalala regards these allegations with "the utmost of seriousness." But it is hard to believe that she didn't know of anything Shapiro did before the allegations that sparked an NCAA investigation.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation into Miami football, stay with this StoryStream. To check in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Assuming we can trust someone who is in prison for running a Ponzi scheme, Nevin Shapiro sure liked to splash the cash when it came to University of Miami football players. Just how much? Well, The 7th Floor breaks it all down for us, detailing each of the alleged payments Shapiro made to players for various accomplishments.

According to their accounting, Devin Hester was the most frequent recipient of Shapiro's largesse, collecting eight payments that totalled $7,500. Among the more awesome gifts Hester allegedly received was $500 for excessive celebration on his touchdown during Miami's 38-3 victory over Florida on Sept. 6, 2003.

A closer look at some of Shapiro's bounties reveal that he had quite the thing for Florida State's Chris Rix. No fewer than three players were allegedly given money for being rough with the quarterback. Sean Taylor got $1,000 for one hit and Jon Vilma got two $1,000 checks for hits on Rix in separate games. Not surprisingly, the Oct. 11, 2003 game against Florida State was the most expensive, costing Shapiro $3,500 in bounties.

In all, it looks like Shapiro wrote 32 separate checks, totaling $20,650. 

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor.

Nevin Shapiro's allegations in Tuesday's Yahoo! Sports report would've made waves with any program in the country, but the news hits even harder because it happened at a school like Miami, with a number of college players currently starring in the NFL.

Wednesday, two of those names spoke out to respond. Andre Johnson, the former star receiver at Miami and current Pro Bowler with the Texans, told the Houston Chronicle, “It is what it is, man. I really don’t have much to say about it. The guy’s in trouble, and he’s trying to take everybody down with him. I’m really not worried about it.”

“You kind of get upset about it," he added, "but at the same time, you can’t control what anybody says. He knows and I know what really happened. It’s over. It’s done with. The NCAA is handling it, and we’ll just move on."

Likewise, Johnson's former college teammate and current teammate with the Texans, OT Eric Winston, expressed similar sentiments on a podcast. As Pro Football Talk transcribes:

“I don’t really know [Shapiro]. I know the name a little bit. I couldn’t pick him out of the lineup,” Winston said. “I think it’s unfortunate when a guy gets around kids and a program and intends to do harm to it."

For now, at least, this looks like chorus: We knew him, but not that well. As far as benefits, nobody's offering any outright denials, either. Instead, they're minimizing their involvement, downplaying their relationship with Shapiro, and leaving it up to the NCAA. But they're not denying anything.

The Yahoo! Sports investigation of the Miami Hurricanes football (and basketball) scandal is implicating dozens of people, including UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue. Nevin Shapiro, a former UM booster at the center of the allegations, told Yahoo!'s Charles Robinson that his former business partner in Axcess Sports, a player representation agency, was Huyghue and that Huyghue funneled money to players.

While with Axcess, Huyghue represented players DT Vince Wilfork and LB Jon Beason, both from the University of Miami football program. In the Yahoo! story, he denied the reports noting that Shapiro was a convicted felon.

Huyghue has now released another statement claiming his innocence:

"Nevin Shapiro made an unsolicited approach more than a decade ago with regard to investing in my sports company Axcess Sports & Entertainment. At no time did he or other individual investors in Axcess Sports hold a management role and neither were they involved in the day-to-day business operations of the company. There is no substance to the story and these allegations, and during a seven-year time period, Axcess Sports only signed three players from the University of Miami."

Something tells me this isn't the last we've heard of Huyghue's involvement considering the detailed claims Shapiro made against him, and others.

In a detailed report compiled by the Yahoo! Sports investigative team, former Miami Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro spills the beans to a level we haven't seen since the days of SMU and the Pony Express. The details are salacious, and include morally reprehensible allegations involving prostitutes, strip clubs and even an abortion. It's difficult to even know where to begin when looking at the report, other than to say just read it all multiple times.

The following are not the dazzling details that will get Miami hammered by the NCAA. Instead, these are some of the odd tidbits thrown into the story, making it sound more like a Hollywood movie. And at some point, the scandal probably will get the documentary treatment.

• Kellen Winslow crashed a jet ski into a boat. Of course he did.
• Devin Hester earned $500 per kick return touchdown, and also earned $500 per excessive celebration penalty. This is the most Miami detail in the scandal.
• Shapiro looked into the feasibility of adding a stripper pole to his suite at Land Shark Stadium, but decided it was too tacky. Don't think this is a violation of anything, but it's kind of awesome.
• Teddy Dupay will be making an appearance in fantasy football leagues everywhere soon. It's the new Ron Mexico.
  
• Shapiro challenged the head of compliance to a fight in the middle of the press box. If this isn't a red flag indicating something might be wrong, I don't know what it.
• Shapiro donated enough money to have his name put on the student athlete lounge. Ironic? You bet.
• All of the legitimate donations, as well as the alleged improper benefits, were paid for with dirty money earned in a Ponzi scheme. For some reason, Ponzi schemes are in right now in college athletics.
• The irony runs deeper when looking at Paul Dee, the athletic director in charge at the time of the alleged scandal. As the head of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, Dee was busy hammering USC while the booze, money and women were flowing freely in Miami.

There's much, much more, available at Yahoo!. Pay special attention to the player pages on the right sidebar of the report.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

Since this massive Miami Hurricanes scandal broke, involving both the football and basketball team, the public has been waiting for some quotes from newly hired football coach Al Golden. Since booster Nevin Shapiro has been in jail since before Golden was hired, it seemed highly likely that Golden not only had nothing to do with the scandal, but that he was probably ignorant to the whole mess.

In a press conference before practice on Wednesday, Golden claimed exactly that and said that the university had a responsibility to tell him what was going on if they knew about it.

Question: Yesterday you said you had no idea this situation was an issue when you were hired in December. Did the university have a responsibility to tell you that this was going on?

Golden: "Only if they knew. If they knew that this was percolating, I believe they did have a responsibility to tell me. I believe they had a responsibility to tell Shawn [Eichorst]. But look, I'm happy here. My wife's happy here. We got great kids on this team. We have commitments from 24 young men and their families that appreciate and share our core values moving forward. Again, from what I'm understanding, many of these allegations go back three years at the minimum all the way back to the early 2000s....I'm just trying to move forward."

On the outside, Golden is being extremely professional, but it's hard to believe that he isn't holding something back. Miami football is going to face serious sanctions from the NCAA, and Golden's ability to do his job will almost certainly be seriously affected by whatever punishments are handed down.

For fan reaction on the ongoing Miami Hurricanes mega-scandal, visit Seventh Floor Blog.

The Miami Hurricanes' football program will probably undergo a bit of upheaval in the wake of the scandal that broke on Tuesday revolving around Yahoo! Sports report prominently involving booster Nevin Shapiro. No suspensions have been issued by the school yet, however, coach Al Golden said on Tuesday.

Golden said that until the NCAA actually says any of his players did anything wrong, there won't be any disciplinary actions.

"Until we hear of an infraction or that we did break a rule, everybody is practicing," Golden told a small group of reporters before the practice session. "If it is determined that somebody broke rules, than certainly that will be first dealt with from a university standpoint from an eligibility standpoint."

Considering several current players were alleged to have a role in the incident -- including current starting quarterback Jacory Harris -- suspensions will probably be handed out eventually if the NCAA deems that the Yahoo! report is true. Until then, however, Golden will continue to coach his team.

"Nobody wants this to move along more quickly than I do," he said. "The only way to do that is to fully cooperate. My role in this right now is to make sure the student-athletes are honest with the NCAA and university officials, but other than that I have no contact with the NCAA and I have no contact with any of the players in any of the particular issues they're talking about."

It is a bit interesting that Golden says he hasn't had any contract with the players involved, especially considering that some are important players on his team, but it makes sense he's trying to stay as uninvolved as possible for the time being.

The current Miami scandal stemming from Yahoo! Sports' investigation featuring former booster Nevin Shapiro involved the Hurricanes football program for the most part, but there was a small piece of the puzzle that also implicated Frank Haith, the school's head basketball coach at the time. Haith has since moved on to the same position at Missouri, and while his current school is acknowledging the allegations, they aren't saying anything else aside from saying they will play by the rules.

Mizzou issued a statement regarding Haith's involvement in the scandal currently rocking his previous school -- regarding the recruitment of current Hurricanes player DeQuan Jones -- along with a statement from Haith itself, both of which were posted on Mizzou's student newspaper website.

We are aware of today's Yahoo! Sports story and the University of Missouri acknowledges that the NCAA has requested to speak with Coach Haith regarding his time at the University of Miami. As a member of the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference, the University of Missouri will cooperate fully throughout this process. Per the NCAA's request and guiding bylaws, we are unable to comment further in order to protect the integrity of their review.

This doesn't bring anything new to the table, of course, and it's unclear exactly what the NCAA infractions committee would be able to do to Haith since he's no longer at Miami and presumably hasn't done anything wrong while with the Tigers.

Amid the hundreds of fascinating revelations from Wednesday's Yahoo! Sports investigation into Nevin Shapiro's relationship with the University of Miami football program, there was this note from Shapiro, where he compares himself to the most infamous booster in Miami's history--former 2 Live Crew rapper, Luther Campbell.

As Shapiro explained, "Luther Campbell was the first uncle who took care of players before I got going. His role was diminished by the NCAA and the school, and someone needed to pick up that mantle. That someone was me. He was ‘Uncle Luke’, and I became ‘Little Luke.’

So, what does Luther Campbell have to say about that distinction? Uncle Luke is glad you asked! He sounded off on his blog over at the Miami New Times on Thursday morning, and it doesn't disappoint:

If Nevin really wanted people to see him as "Little Luke," then he would have dedicated part of his life to helping kids in Miami's inner city neighborhoods get a college education. He certainly never started a youth athletic program that has been around for more than 30 years helping underprivileged parents in Liberty City mold their children.

It has never been about money for me. It's always been about community service. That's what being Uncle Luke is really about. Shapiro is nothing more than a jilted groupie who fucked over a lot people. He is an opportunistic schemer who now wants to play the role of jailhouse snitch. His word isn't worth squat especially if Yahoo paid him for the exclusive. Nevin's mad because he couldn't get former players to invest in his Ponzi scheme or come to his rescue when his criminal enterprise was exposed.

Indeed, The U may be going down in flames because of Shapiro's claims, but after years of helping build the tradition that made Miami special, Uncle Luke isn't to let himself get lumped in with a "jilted groupie" like Shapiro.

The biggest college scandal of the century emerged today as Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson meticulously detailed the impermissable benefits former University of Miami booster and current convict Nevin Shapiro gave to the Hurricanes.

The web had an expectedly large and diverse reaction, and we here at SB Nation will do our best to compile a good range of the Twitterverse's take on the scandal.

First, an astute take on just how huge this scandal was from one of the best Tweeters out there:

A Nashville-area radio host feels that Miami should receive the famed "death penalty," that is, forbidding Miami from playing football for a full season, which has only been given out once in NCAA history:

SB Nation's Ohio State blog, Along the Olentagy, recalls a rumor from the Miami-FIU brawl two years ago that, after revelations that Shapiro offered money to players if they injured players, doesn't seem so ridiculous anymore:

A former Miami head coach, who himself is not free from scandal, was defiant in response to Robinson and Shapiro's allegations:

CBS Sports' Bryan Fischer reminds us that ESPN is the Worldwide Leader in Being Sore Losers:

And finally, Ken LaVicka reminds us that the the NCAA is the Galactic Leader in Hypocrisy. Former Miami AD and chairman of the NCAA's committee on infractions in 2010 Paul Dee reportedly let Shapiro lead the Hurricanes out of the tunnel...twice: 

For fan reaction (hint: it's probably a mix of emotions you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy) and more updates on the scandal, visit Seventh Floor Blog.

Tuesday afternoon Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Charles Robinson unleashed a bombshell on college athletics, implicating 72 players from the Miami Hurricanes for receiving improper benefits from former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro. The massive scandal -- unearthed by nearly a year of investigation -- is a game-changer unlike any seen in recent sporting history.

At this point, as we sit drowning in the wide swath of allegations, it's somewhat unclear how far ramifications will spread throughout the realm of collegiate athletics. Yet, when the dust settles, you can be sure that Miami won't be the only school to incur the NCAA's inevitable wrath.

The Kansas State Wildcats may be one of the first (of many) institutions to suffer. Former Hurricane -- and current Kansas State linebacker -- Arthur Brown is among the vast list of players implicated in the investigation. According to Robinson, Brown received excessive benefits from Shapiro including:

• A dinner at Benihana and a trip to a strip club called The Cheetah in which Shapiro paid for all of Brown's food, drinks and private entertainment at the club.
• Lunch for Brown at Smith and Wollensky's with Brown, his parents, brother Bryce Brown and adviser Brian Butler which totaled $532. A bill paid for by Shapiro.
• Two rooms at the Continental Oceanfront Hotel for Brown, his family and adviser totaling $1,110.19. Paid for by Shapiro.
• Food, drinks and entertainment during pool tournaments at Shapiro's mansion.

To make matters worse, Brown's younger brother, Bryce, was present for many of the benefits. Bryce is now a running back for Kansas State.

"[Arthur] also wanted me to meet his brother," Shapiro told Yahoo."Who was going to be the No. 1 recruited player coming out of high school that following year named Bryce Brown. I set up a trip for his mom, dad and spiritual adviser - which is another name for an agent - Brian Butler. They all came in from Kansas. I put them up at a hotel on Miami Beach."

While it's too early to predict the impending fallout from these allegations, it is becoming increasingly clear that this problem is not Miami's alone. Needless to say, the next few months are going to get quite interesting.

For fan reaction on the ongoing Miami Hurricanes mega-scandal, visit Seventh Floor Blog.

The net cast by Yahoo! Sports' mind-blowingly intense investigation into former booster and current incarcerated felon and former Hurricane booster Nevin Shapiro grows wider and wider: two coaches at the University of Alabama, one at Louisville and one at Florida are accused of having improper contact with Shapiro.

Alabama's offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, and its director of football operations, Joe Pannunzio, were named by Yahoo!'s pitbull investigative reporter Charles Robinson here and here, respectively. Neither of them were secured hookers or blow, like some players, but both were involved in the improper recruitment of offensive line prospect Matt Patchan.

Patchan, who is now a backup offensive lineman at Florida, reportedly visited Shapiro's home with his mother, father and brother with Stoutland and Pannunzio in attendance. Shapiro named Stoutland, but they had minimal contact, he said. Robinson's investigation turned up Pannunzio's name after Shapiro wouldn't reveal it, and phone records show the two exchanging at the very least 422 calls and texts from 2006-'10.

Clint Hurtt was the defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator for Miami from '07-'10, landing some of the best classes in the country despite the team consistently underachieving. He now holds the same position at Louisville, but he might not be so secure right now. He was named in the investigation, naturally, but had far more contact with Shapiro than the afore-mentioned 'Bama coaches.

Robinson quotes Shapiro as calling Hurtt "a really good friend of mine." If I were to wager a guess, that's probably no longer the case. Hurtt allegedly brought several recruits to Shapiro's mansion and enjoyed meals at Café Grazie in Miami for "large groups of recruits" on Shapiro's dime.

Hurtt was named ESPN's National Recruiter of the Year for his first season in Louisville in 2010.

The fourth coach named in Robinson's story is Aubrey Hill, now the wide receivers coach at the University of Florida. Hill was present with Hurtt in the recruiting trip with Andre Dubose, Ray-Ray Armstrong and Dyron Dye at Shapiro's mansion. Past that trip, Shapiro doesn't allege any further impropriety with Hill.

I doubt we see any penalties levied against Alabama, Louisville or Florida, but if any of these coaches have a penalty coming, it's Hurtt. Best friends forever, right Nevin?

Among the more startling revelations nestled within Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Charles Robinson's massive inquisition into the Miami football program, is the admission of a bounty ring that rewarded Hurricane players for injuring members of the opposing team.

The ring was the brainchild of incarcerated former-Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, and modeled after the infamous system run by Luther Campbell in the 1980's. Within Campbell's system, Hurricanes would be rewarded for the ambiguously termed "big plays." Eventually the lid was blown off the scheme in 1994's Pell Grant scandal, and 57 players were named as collaborators.

Shapiro's system was similar, although it pushed the boundaries to a more dramatic level. According to Robinson's sources -- including two former Miami players -- the booster offered individual rewards not only for "big plays" and "hit of the game", but also for injuring specific players.

Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and Florida State Seminoles quarterback Chris Rix were among those listed as examples of players with bounties on their heads. Rix, in particular, carried a bounty for three consecutive years worth over $5,000.

"We pounded the (expletive) out of that kid," Shapiro said of Rix. "Watch the tape of those games. You'll see so many big hits on him. Guys were all going after that $5,000 in cash. [Jon] Vilma tried to kill him - just crushed him - a couple of times trying to get that $5,000. And he almost got it, too."

While many of the details listed in Robinson's report cast a stark shadow over college football, the notion that players from other universities were at direct risk because of Miami's indifference may be the one of the most unsettling.

For fan reaction on the ongoing Miami Hurricanes mega-scandal, visit Seventh Floor Blog.

Though Miami basketball isn't nearly the focus of Yahoo! Sports' comprehensive investigation of former UM booster Nevin Shapiro's improper contact with the Hurricanes, the hardwood in Coral Gables isn't completely untainted.

The big bombshell was the revelation that former Miami, current Missouri, head basketball Frank Haith acknowledged Shapiro making a $10,000 down payment on the recruitment of current senior DeQuan Jones. They also were total strip club buddies, which isn't against the rules, but is telling of their relationship.

Haith said he will fully comply with the inevitable NCAA investigation, which is underway, in a released statement, per CBS Sports:

In response to a recent news article, I can confirm that the NCAA has asked to speak with me regarding the time I spent at the University of Miami. I am more than happy to cooperate with the national office on this issue and look forward to a quick resolution. The NCAA has instructed me not to comment further at this time in order to protect the integrity of their review, so I appreciate your understanding in this matter. The reports questioning my personal interactions with Mr. Shapiro are not an accurate portrayal of my character and per the above I am unable to comment further.    

He's likely "more than happy" because he's in Columbia, Mo., not in Coral Gables, Fla. A scandal like this hasn't rocked the NCAA since it banned SMU from fielding a football team in 1987, so there's no telling the punishment that will be handed down. However, it's clear from Robinson's story that Haith, and likely Missouri, will not emerge unscathed.

Among the mind-blowing number of allegations revealed in Yahoo! Sports' detailed investigation into the University of Miami's improper relationship with convicted felon and team booster Nevin Shapiro, which included a list of implicated players and coaches, is the reality that 12 players on said list are still currently on the football team.

In alphabetical order: Ray-Ray Armstrong, Travis Benjamin, Dyron Dye, Marcus Forston, Jacory Harris, Aldarius Johnson, JoJo Nicolas, Adewale Ojomo, Marcus Robinson, Sean Spence, Vaughn Telemaque and Olivier Vernon.

The biggest name on that list is Harris, the star quarterback whose injury last year put the brakes on a season that looked very promising. They were ranked and 5-2 after seven games.

Armstrong and Telemaque are two talented defensive backs. They tied for the team lead in 2010 with three interceptions apiece.

Normally, one would just assume there would be a mass of suspensions for these players, and that's still probably the case. However, the suspensions, at this point, are the least of The U's concerns.

For fan reaction (hint: it's probably a mix of emotions you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy) and more updates on the scandal, visit Seventh Floor Blog.

No less than a league commissioner -- UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue, to be exact -- is named in Yahoo! Sports' eye-popping investigative report on "thousands" of University of Miami violations centered around booster Nevin Shapiro. In the report, Charles Robinson cites information from Shapiro (who now sits in federal prison on fraud charges related to a Ponzi scheme) and an unnamed former Miami football player that alleges that Huyghue, as Shapiro's partner in player representation agency Axcess Sports, funneled money to UM players.

Huyghue denies the claims in Robinson's report. From the Yahoo! story:

"He's a convicted felon," Huyghue said. "I just don't want to get into such fantasy. I just wouldn't want to even go down that path. I don't even care what he said. Whatever he could say, there's just no substance to it."

In addition to his work with Axcess, where he represented Hurricanes Vince Wilfork and Jon Beason, Huyghue has worked for the NFLPA, the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the NFL's league office. The UFL is a professional football league made up of all of four teams. It is considered to be on death's door.

Former Miami Hurricanes basketball coach Frank Haith -- now at the head of the Missouri Tigers -- is implicated in the wide-ranging bombshell investigation published by Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson on Tuesday. In the report, prominent Miami booster Nevin Shapiro claims that in 2007 he paid $10,000 to help secure the commitment of DeQuan Jones, a five-star class of 2008 recruit entering his senior season at Miami. Shapiro said that though the transaction went through then-Miami assistant Jake Morton (now at Western Kentucky), Haith acknowledged the payment in a conversation with Shapiro.

Robinson reports that Haith denied Shapiro's claims through a spokesperson.

Jones is the only major basketball recruit mentioned in Robinson's penetrating report, which alleges thousands of NCAA violations from 2002 through 2010. Haith took the Miami job (his first as a head coach) in 2004, and just left last spring for Mizzou.

The majority of the violations documented in Robinson's report concern Miami's football program.

Ex-Miami athletic director Paul Dee spoke out about Nevin Shapiro and the NCAA investigation the former Miami booster allegedly triggered. Dee presided over the Hurricanes' athletic department while the alleged misconduct involving Shapiro, the extent of which dwarfs that of the Reggie Bush Scandal at USC, and shared his thoughts about the investigation, what he knew and whether Miami should be worried.

Dee supplied a wide-array of quotes, but let's zero-in on the following, which is, essentially, a "we didn't know" defense.

"We didn't have any suspicion that he was doing anything like this," said Dee, UM's athletic director from 1993 to 2008. "He didn't do anything to cause concern."

As we found out a few hours after his statement, "this" was allegations of improper benefits stretching nearly a decade, with details so outrageous, it's enough to make one's head spin. But let's take Dee at his word for a moment, even though Shapiro insists it would've taken five minutes to figure out what was going on between himself, as a booster, and current student athletes.

While seving as the COI chair, Shapiro told USC that even though its compliance department didn't know what was going on, it should have. His now famous quote about high-profile players and compliance is referenced in the Yahoo! report, and the entire investigation into Shapiro's involvement with student athletes, which allegedly occurred under Dee's watch, creates a situation wrought with irony.

By the same token, then, if Shapiro's claims, and the mountain of evidence uncovered in the Yahoo! investigative report, turn out to be true, it shouldn't matter whether Dee, or Miami, knew what was going on. They should have. And if there's precedent -- and we're not sure there is when it comes to the NCAA -- the punishments, should the NCAA pickup where Yahoo! left off, may end up making what USC was handed look like a slap on the wrist.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

If the initial reports about the NCAA investigation into the University of Miami over claims made by former booster Nevin Shapiro were the warning shot across UM's bow, then the Yahoo! Sports report by Charles Robinson that just went live is the neutron bomb that blew everything wide open.

From prison, where he is serving time for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, Shapiro outlined the many, many violations that took place between himself and athletes on the Miami football and basketball teams between 2002 and 2010.

72 Miami athletes have been named in the claims and Yahoo! will be naming all of them shortly.

The violations that Shapiro has discussed are varied. There are the predictable (money, strip clubs, yacht trips) and then there are the slightly less predictable:

Shapiro named 39 Miami players or prospective recruits who he says received prostitution paid for by the booster. Due to the sensitivity of the claims, Yahoo! Sports has chosen not to reveal the names of the players Shapiro claims were involved. However, two players confirmed the booster paid for sexual favors for themselves and others during their careers with the Hurricanes.

One former offensive starter for the Hurricanes confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that he had sex with a prostitute paid for by Shapiro and confirmed that other teammates did as well.

When one escort became pregnant, Shapiro reportedly paid for her abortion without consulting with the player who got her pregnant.

Shapiro also allegedly bought Devin Hester his engagement ring, so it wasn't all just about the paid sex either.

Go read the full report and meet back here later to discuss in much greater details.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

The NCAA is in Coral Gables, looking into claims of wrongdoings alleged by a former Hurricanes booster.As Miami braces itself for a hurricane (sorry) of focus and attention by the sports world, football coach Al Golden launched the first defense missile Tuesday when he said some Miami players "may" have made mistakes.

"We're not going to let this knock us backward," Golden said Tuesday before a morning practice. "We have great kids on this team to the extent that they may have made a mistake. OK, that's fine. But that's also part of growing up. What we have to teach them now is if something did occur, let's be honest and move forward."

Golden's using the classic, "we made mistakes and learning from those mistakes is the best medicine" tactic that's smart but ultimately ineffective against NCAA sanctions.

Of course, the specifics of the allegations happened long before Golden arrived in Coral Gables. He's just doing his best to keep everything above water.

"It's hard for me to stand up here and defend something that occurred three, four, five, six years ago," Golden said. "I don't know the extent of it. We're going to look at it. We're disappointed, but we're not discouraged."

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

If Craig Robinson and Yahoo! Sports are investigating your college football team, it's probably a bad sign. Robinson has kept a tight lip about his future plans, but it appears the Miami Hurricanes are the next contestants on the Yahoo! investigation show, and it won't be pretty. It's been a slow burn thus far, with NCAA investigators in Coral Gables and a steady trickle of information relating to Nevin Shapiro, the booster reportedly at the center of this mess, but it appears a storm is brewing.

On Tuesday morning, Palm Beach Post Miami reporter Jorge Milan shot a flare up indicating something was coming from Yahoo! "soon."

Expect story from Yahoo! Sports on Shapiro claims soon. I'm told that Yahoo paid Shapiro to discuss the UM situation. Care to deny, Yahoo?

Perhaps hearing the talk around him, Yahoo!'s Charles Robinson sent out a cryptic tweet on Tuesday morning.

Coming up for air soon. Sit tight.

It's never good when Robinson essentially calls his shot. We know he's been working on a story labeled a "10 of 10" on the scandal scale, and this may be it. From all we've heard so far, Shapiro is throwing allegations around at a breakneck pace, though the entirety of his claims is not known ... yet. All that may change if/when Robinson drops his next bomb.

We may not have to wait for long if Tuesday's Twitter message is any indication.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.

The NCAA is reportedly in Coral Gables, looking into claims of wrongdoings alleged by a former Hurricanes booster. According to reports, NCAA investigators began interviewing players while looking into Shapiro's claims, which includes large sums of money funneled to student athletes as improper benefits. Shapiro is currently imprison after organizing a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Miami responded by brushing off Shapiro's allegations in a standard statement released to the media on Tuesday morning.

When Nevin Shapiro made his allegations nearly a year ago, he and his attorneys refused to provide any facts to the University of Miami. The University notified the NCAA Enforcement officials of these allegations. We are fully cooperating with the NCAA and are conducting a joint investigation. The University of Miami takes these matters very seriously.

For more on Shapiro's claims and the NCAA investigation, stay with this StoryStream. To check-in with Miami fans, head over to The 7th Floor Blog.