Arr! NCAA be investigatin' a scallywag's botched NIL deal, a whole year later! Blimey!
2024-01-20
Arrr! Word be that the NCAA be diggin' into Jaden Rashada's recruitment, matey! The lad joined the Gators as their quarterback, but they soon set him free from his letter of intent, begad!
The Florida Gators have become the latest football program to be targeted by the NCAA. In June, the NCAA sent a formal inquiry notice to the University of Florida President Ben Sasse, sparking an investigation. The details of the investigation were not disclosed in the document. However, the Tampa Bay Times requested information regarding potential violations related to name, image, and likeness or recruiting, but its initial request was denied. Just this week, the request was finally fulfilled.University officials have released a statement expressing their intentions to fully cooperate with the NCAA. They claim to hold themselves to high standards of excellence and integrity both on and off the field. However, due to NCAA policies on confidentiality, they are unable to provide any additional comments.
The advent of NIL has significantly impacted college football recruiting, and the Florida football program experienced this firsthand. Last year, a lucrative NIL deal involving highly touted quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada and the third-party Gator Collective made headlines. Although Rashada initially committed to the Gators, he was later released from his letter of intent and went on to play for Arizona State. It is unclear if this NIL deal has any connection to the current investigation.
This is not the first time the Florida Gators have faced sanctions from the NCAA. In 2020, the program was placed on probation for one year due to recruiting violations. Former head coach Dan Mullen was in charge at the time.
In a separate incident, Florida State recently faced sanctions after offensive coordinator Alex Atkins took a transfer prospect to a meeting with an unknown booster who was believed to be part of an NIL collective. The NCAA and Florida State reached a negotiated resolution, with the football player being offered a large sum of money as a recruiting inducement.
As of now, the University of Florida's Athletic Department has not responded to inquiries. For more sports coverage, follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.