As the NCAA examines whether and to what extent Ohio State defensive end Chase Young broke rules that strictly prohibit players from getting money at a time when they are collectively generating money. billion for the Machine, more and more details are emerging regarding the circumstances of the loan.
And, of course, these details may not hold up to potential NCAA scrutiny. If the NCAA is inclined to aggressively scrutinize the facts.
Bruce Feldman of TheAthletic.com reports that the loan came in December 2018 from a family friend, so Young could take his girlfriend to California for the Rose Bowl. According to Feldman, Young repaid the money in April. Feldman also reports, citing an anonymous “person”, that the family friend who loaned Young the money is not an agent or a booster.
This latter allegation conflicts with several reports that the the loan was from an NFLPA certified agent.
As Feldman noted, NCAA regulations require that the loan come from someone with whom the player or his family had a relationship prior to the start of his recruitment.
And so attention is now turning to the NCAA investigation, which will ostensibly explore the rabbit hole for who, what, where, when, and why on the loan. It would be foolish, however, to dismiss any chance that the NCAA, for public relations purposes, would choose not to be too aggressive in trying to crack a seemingly plausible explanation.
Attitudes have changed dramatically since the NCAA pitched the book to USC and Reggie Bush to give his family side benefits from a group of agents who wanted to represent him. With college sports under siege for the hypocrisy that comes from pocketing all the money players generate while also allocating some of it to hunt them to make sure they don’t get any more money from anyone, the real question is whether the NCAA will accept Young’s story at first glance – or if the NCAA is trying to tear it up and wonder if the money is from an agent, perhaps with long family friend. date serving as a conduit.
