Sources: Man who helps Ducks probed

March 4, 2011 - PRLog -- NCAA officials are examining whether a Texas man helped steer high school football prospects to defending Pac-10 champion Oregon, and Ducks officials on Thursday told ESPN.com that the school paid the man $25,000 in the spring of 2010 for recruiting services.

Sources close to the inquiry told ESPN.com that NCAA officials are taking a closer look at Oregon's recruitment of running back Callaway X-24 Hot Irons = http://www.enjoymygolf.com/goods-85-Callaway+X-24+Hot+Irons.html , a redshirt freshman from Temple, Texas, who was one of the country's most highly recruited prospects in 2010. Specifically, the NCAA is asking what role Texas-based trainer Willie Lyles played in Seastrunk's decision to attend Oregon, the sources said.



Oregon athletics department spokesman Dave Williford confirmed to ESPN.com on Thursday that Oregon paid Lyles $25,000 for his recruiting services. Oregon's payment to Lyles was made shortly after Seastrunk signed a national letter of intent in February 2010 to play football for the Ducks, choosing them over California, LSU and USC.

Williford supplied the information after ESPN.com requested a copy of the check under state open records laws. Williford said neither the NCAA nor Pac-10 had contacted Oregon about any possible violations.

"Most programs purchase recruiting services," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said Thursday. "Our compliance office is aware of Callaway X-24 Hot Irons = http://www.enjoymygolf.com/goods-85-Callaway+X-24+Hot+Iro... . Will has a recruiting service that met NCAA rules and we used him in 2010."



In the past, Lyles has aligned himself with recruiting services.

But a person who once worked with Lyles said the $25,000 payment exceeded the $16,500 Oregon paid the recruiting service for its work during the previous two years. The source said Lyles' affiliation with the recruiting service had been terminated prior to Lyles billing Oregon on his own.

The NCAA revised its bylaws in 2010 to make monitoring of recruiting and scouting services more stringent. In this case, the NCAA will likely ask Oregon exactly what it received from Lyles. In general, schools must ask prospective recruiting services to outline what they're offering before they become clients, and to detail if the service is available to all institutions at the same rate, if the rate is publicly identified and several other questions.

The NCAA will also look to see if Lyles violated NCAA bylaw 12.3.3.1, which states a student-athlete may allow a scouting service or agent to distribute personal information to a Callaway X-24 Hot Irons= http://www.enjoymygolf.com/goods-85-Callaway+X-24+Hot+Irons.html  -- provided a fee is not based on placing the player at a school.



Seastrunk's mother, Evelyn, said Thursday night that she didn't know Lyles received $25,000 from Oregon.

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