North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, and now Alabama.
And who knows who will be investigated tomorrow.
The NCAA is investigating all of the above schools for player-agent dealings. This is in the aftermath of the USC scandals involving former running back Reggie Bush and former basketball star OJ Mayo. Both players were paid money by agents and Bush's family was given a house to live in during his time in Los Angeles.
The problem is, agents have many ways to get into touch with players. They have runners who relay messages. Phone calls, text messages, emails. Teams can't watch players 24/7. They can't monitor a player's personal phone or email address. They can't hold their hands on spring break or when they are at home during breaks.
Nick Saban, head football coach at Alabama, said that he is ready for the NCAA to kick the NFL out. No more pre-draft evaluations, no more agents at all, that they could do all that stuff at the combine.
You know what? I agree with Saban.
I think the NCAA should re-write the rules when it comes to NFL Draft entry. Once you declare, you should have just 42 hours to change your mind as long as you don't hire an agent or receive payment for something. After that 42 hours, you've given up your eligibility. The NFL should not be able to give players their draft evaluations until after that 42 hours are up. No more agents on campus what-so-ever.
Will doing these things keep agents from contacting college players? No, they will not. Agents will always find a way. But these are ways to safeguard campuses and teams from the direct contact agents enjoy right now.