It’s all about timing as Oregon admits failure to monitor

They say in public relations and media classes in school that if you want to release some negative news the best time to release it is Friday afternoon. That may not be quite the case it once was with the Internet and social networking, but that’s exactly what Oregon did Friday night. The University of Oregon admitted to a failure to properly monitor recruiting procedures and the use of recruiting services.

It has been a while since anyone has really mentioned the name Willie Lyles, but with Oregon admitting some wrongdoing we’ll start hearing the name a lot more now. Copies of the NCAA’s statement of proposed findings of violations was obtained by multiple media outlets Friday following a records request through the freedom of information act. Adam Jude reports (via Twitter) that the university paid $45,245 to “at least three” recruiting services between 2008 and 2011. These recruiting services “did not conform to NCAA legislation.”

In addition Oregon is reported to have exceeded the permissable number of coaches involved in recruiting at any one time, as reported by The Register Guard. The most alarming news is that Oregon agrees, or admits, “that from 2008 and 2011, the scope and nature of the violations… demonstrate that the athletics department failed to adequately monitor the football program’s use of recruiting or scouting services.”

That, college football fans, is not a good sign.

Oregon is still awaiting their official Notice of Allegations form the NCAA (aren’t we all?). It remains to be seen just how the NCAA will come down on the Oregon program, because frankly nobody ever really knows how the NCAA will handle this situation.

“While we have no specific timetable on the inquiry, we remain in close communication with the NCAA as the process advances cooperatively through each stage. Currently, pursuant to the NCAAs process, we are in constructive discussions with the NCAA on the draft of their proposed findings,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens explained in a letter released to the boosters of Oregon.

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast and managing editor of Nittany Lion’s Den. Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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