Details of player violations are revealed in 528-page document.
The University of Oklahoma has uncovered no further NCAA violations relating to football players' employment at a Norman auto dealership, according to a 528-page report the school has filed with the NCAA.
But an NCAA investigation almost certainly looms, and it's unclear what kind of penalties the Sooners could face.
An athletic department investigation -- fueled by an anonymous e-mail to school president David Boren -- has produced two player dismissals and revealed poor record keeping at an auto dealership that employed 14 football players, according to the report.
The university report, which was obtained Tuesday through an open-records request, provides specific details about the violations that led to the dismissals of starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn.
Those details include how OU first learned of possible violations and how much Bomar and Quinn were paid for hours they never worked for Norman auto dealership Big Red Sports and Imports.
But, citing federal privacy laws, OU blacked out the amounts paid to Bomar and Quinn. The players' names were redacted from the report entirely -- as were the names of 12 other players previously employed by the auto dealership but not implicated in NCAA violations.
While almost entire pages are blacked out, OU revealed several details in the report:
"This is a car dealership that prides itself on it's (sic) close ties to the University of OK. (The players) were paid by Big Red Sports and Imports for their services, however they did not have to do a minutes (sic) work either summer (2004 and '05). . .
"All of this was done as a favor to the OU football team."
The e-mail said a "payroll clerk" for Big Red Sports and Imports "has stated on numerous occasions that none of the players had to do anything to receive their money."
But in a letter to the compliance office dated April 6, the payroll clerk wrote: "I believe to the best of my knowledge that the student athletes were paid for the hours that they were working. . . . I was not aware of anyone being paid without actually working."
OU's report states that the e-mail contained inaccuracies, and the school uncovered violations as it continued its review into the matter.
Boren received the e-mail while the school was conducting a separate athletic-department investigation in February relating to the auto dealership.
Details of that investigation are blacked out of the report, but OU has acknowledged that it investigated running back Adrian Peterson's failed attempt to buy a Lexus from Big Red after test driving it for an extended period. OU determined Peterson didn't violate NCAA rules.
"Absolutely not," he said.
Stoops also was asked if he had heard any rumors of possible wrongdoing and replied, "Not until this incident."
OU didn't confirm that violations occurred until late July, when the school received time card reports, W-2 tax forms and payroll information for several players previously employed by Big Red. OU cross-checked that information with university information detailing schedules for classes and workouts and found discrepancies.
But before confirming violations, OU had already banned its athletes from working at Big Red. The ban started in summer 2006 and was implemented because the dealership wouldn't cooperate during the Peterson investigation in February.
According to OU's NCAA report, the ban was imposed when Stoops "learned about the initial poor and inappropriate treatment the compliance staff received when they attempted to discuss a potential NCAA issue in February 2006 with the prior management of the dealership."
OU praised Big Red's new ownership and management for its cooperation with the investigation. OU's violations occurred when Big Red had previous ownership.
Stoops was asked about McRae during OU's internal investigation. Stoops said he knew McRae, "but do I have a personal relationship with him? No."
According to the report, Stoops said he had spoken to McRae to make sure players were "doing the right things. . . .
"I had specifically asked to make sure that, um, they're working the hours they're supposed to work, that they're getting paid as they should, that they're treating them like you would your other employees," Stoops told OU's investigators. "And he assured me that he would never jeopardize his, you know, position with the University or he had too much respect for me to not do it that way."
The University of Oklahoma has uncovered no further NCAA violations relating to football players' employment at a Norman auto dealership, according to a 528-page report the school has filed with the NCAA.
But an NCAA investigation almost certainly looms, and it's unclear what kind of penalties the Sooners could face.
An athletic department investigation -- fueled by an anonymous e-mail to school president David Boren -- has produced two player dismissals and revealed poor record keeping at an auto dealership that employed 14 football players, according to the report.
The university report, which was obtained Tuesday through an open-records request, provides specific details about the violations that led to the dismissals of starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn.
Those details include how OU first learned of possible violations and how much Bomar and Quinn were paid for hours they never worked for Norman auto dealership Big Red Sports and Imports.
But, citing federal privacy laws, OU blacked out the amounts paid to Bomar and Quinn. The players' names were redacted from the report entirely -- as were the names of 12 other players previously employed by the auto dealership but not implicated in NCAA violations.
While almost entire pages are blacked out, OU revealed several details in the report:
- OU was first notified of possible violations in an anonymous e-mail sent March 3 to Boren.
"This is a car dealership that prides itself on it's (sic) close ties to the University of OK. (The players) were paid by Big Red Sports and Imports for their services, however they did not have to do a minutes (sic) work either summer (2004 and '05). . .
"All of this was done as a favor to the OU football team."
The e-mail said a "payroll clerk" for Big Red Sports and Imports "has stated on numerous occasions that none of the players had to do anything to receive their money."
But in a letter to the compliance office dated April 6, the payroll clerk wrote: "I believe to the best of my knowledge that the student athletes were paid for the hours that they were working. . . . I was not aware of anyone being paid without actually working."
OU's report states that the e-mail contained inaccuracies, and the school uncovered violations as it continued its review into the matter.
Boren received the e-mail while the school was conducting a separate athletic-department investigation in February relating to the auto dealership.
Details of that investigation are blacked out of the report, but OU has acknowledged that it investigated running back Adrian Peterson's failed attempt to buy a Lexus from Big Red after test driving it for an extended period. OU determined Peterson didn't violate NCAA rules.
- On Aug. 3 -- the day after OU announced the dismissals of Bomar and Quinn -- the university conducted interviews with coach Bob Stoops, defensive coordinator Brent Venables and Merv Johnson, who oversees the summer employment program. All said they were unaware of Bomar's and Quinn's violations.
"Absolutely not," he said.
Stoops also was asked if he had heard any rumors of possible wrongdoing and replied, "Not until this incident."
- OU's report depicts Big Red's prior ownership (the dealership was sold in April) as a business with poor record keeping and a management team that was uncooperative with the university when questions were raised during the Peterson investigation.
OU didn't confirm that violations occurred until late July, when the school received time card reports, W-2 tax forms and payroll information for several players previously employed by Big Red. OU cross-checked that information with university information detailing schedules for classes and workouts and found discrepancies.
But before confirming violations, OU had already banned its athletes from working at Big Red. The ban started in summer 2006 and was implemented because the dealership wouldn't cooperate during the Peterson investigation in February.
According to OU's NCAA report, the ban was imposed when Stoops "learned about the initial poor and inappropriate treatment the compliance staff received when they attempted to discuss a potential NCAA issue in February 2006 with the prior management of the dealership."
OU praised Big Red's new ownership and management for its cooperation with the investigation. OU's violations occurred when Big Red had previous ownership.
- In the report, OU singles out former Big Red employee Brad McRae, saying he was "aware and condoned" the violations. OU has previously stated that Bomar and Quinn also knowingly broke NCAA rules.
Stoops was asked about McRae during OU's internal investigation. Stoops said he knew McRae, "but do I have a personal relationship with him? No."
According to the report, Stoops said he had spoken to McRae to make sure players were "doing the right things. . . .
"I had specifically asked to make sure that, um, they're working the hours they're supposed to work, that they're getting paid as they should, that they're treating them like you would your other employees," Stoops told OU's investigators. "And he assured me that he would never jeopardize his, you know, position with the University or he had too much respect for me to not do it that way."
