The University of North Carolina has hired a lawyer with a background in NCAA rules compliance to advise the school while the NCAA investigates the Tar Heels football program.
Rick Evrard, a lawyer with Bond, Schoeneck & King in Overland Park, Kan., spent seven years on the NCAA staff, first as an enforcement representative and later as director of legislative services.
North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour said the school is using Evrard as a consultant. NCAA investigators have been to campus twice in the last six weeks in a probe of possible improprieties between football players and sports agents.
Baddour said he still has complete faith in assistant athletic director for compliance Amy Herman and university legal counsel Leslie Strohm.
“This is just something that we felt like, let’s don’t leave any stone unturned,” Baddour said this morning. “Let’s don’t look back on this and wish we had done something in a different way. Somebody who has experience going through this who can bring knowledge about what other schools have done, what’s been helpful in the past, what’s not been helpful, and help us know what to expect at each turn.”
Evrard sometimes helps schools conduct their own, independent investigations, but Baddour said he won’t do that for North Carolina. Although Evrard has visited Chapel Hill during this process, he won’t conduct any interviews.
Connecticut and Kansas are among the schools Evrard has advised.
“Leslie Strohm and I talked about it for some time and we thought that would be a good thing for us to do,” Baddour said. “We felt like it could be helpful. Other schools who had used similar kind of counsel have commented that it was helpful to them.”
Comments
It's called buying
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 23:55 — GreedbusterIt's called buying influence. This is as close to bribery as you can get. I am sure a large legal team made sure it was legal but it does smell bad. As if Myles Brand was not your friend when he was alive. As if he didn't help the Knight family start a new branch of the NCAA using this newspaper to promote whatever UNC Chapel Hill wanted to promote. EVERYONE wants to see the tarheels cry like little babies. They deserve it after all the years of tyranny.
They should have retained
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 21:11 — MozarteanThey should have retained this guy at the first glimmer of an investigation.
Of course, no matter when he was retained, it'll just give those who hate Carolina another reason to hate Carolina.
Carolina, beloved alma mater, clean this mess up. It's becoming tacky.
they did
Mon, 08/16/2010 - 07:05 — gvillegatrUNC did retain a lawyer about three weeks ago. It just got reported the other day.
This is crap
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 21:05 — FlowerpowerThat's just CRAP--using state tax dollars to hire a lawyer for a silly, peripheral sports issue?????????????? Right here in the middle of a depression when the state is millions of dollars short of budgeted needs??????????????????
Good Lord!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you sports addicts NO SENSE OF PROPORTION???????????? This whole thing is just plain STUPID!
Have you a fetish for
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 21:13 — MozarteanHave you a fetish for question marks and exclamation points, do you?
Wait until you see Kenan Stadium
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:52 — carolinaguy97On top of all the investigations, one more item has come up to make me feel sad for UNC-Chapel Hill. I visited Kenan Stadium a few days ago.
All the trees growing in the corners next to the old fieldhouse have been cut down. The whole stadium now has a feeling of cold concrete and steel.
Kenan Stadium was one of my favorite athletic venues in the whole world. Those trees gave it a different kind of feeling than any other stadium. Now they are gone.
I'm not sure UNC fans are better off today than they were four years ago. Now we have a football team that will pay a price to the NCAA, something we haven't had to deal with in a long time.
Plus, one of the great venues for college football now feels like a cookie-cutter stadium you could find anywhere. It is a sad day for UNC fans, and all these "improvements" somehow leave me with a cold feeling.
I am with you Carolinaguy
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 20:48 — unc098I have watched the degradation of Kenan Stadium for years now and it has become unrecognizable to me. Kenan was by far one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country before all this expansion. I have always hated that Jumbotron at the end of the field, and hopefully it will disappear with the new seats. I will definitely miss the trees and the breeze.
?
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:29 — hdog007Not to mention they had a hard time filling up the old size, why do they need more seats? Press box, Yes, more seats they'll just have to paint blue...No
?
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:32 — Heels20We sold out the past two years...
x
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:26 — TDiddytx
Y
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:54 — Puddentainy
.... as big as a grapefruit!
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 12:00 — AgentPierceThe hard-core UNC-haters who hated all things UNC last decade, last year, last month, yesterday and tomorrow will still hate all things UNC next month too. Coaches and players and admins come and go .... as long as the color is light blue and its located in Chapel Hill, the UNC-haters have a gallstone as big as a grapefruit lodged in their gut. So be it.
But it must be difficult keeping all the conspiracy theories straight. Is there like a clearinghouse somewhere for researching on-going conspiracies and registering new ones? And does a UNC-related conspiracy theory ever die? I've never known one to totally disappear. :>)
hard-core UNC-haters, very dishonest label
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:18 — igliigliLike most of the people you label UNC-haters, I love the school but hate the massive damage the sports boosters have done to UNC academics. UNC-CH and all the other UNC System schools should fire all the coaches and sports teams.
Little Dead Horse igilli .....
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:45 — AgentPierceActual iglli, we share some opinions on the subject of intercollegiate athletics. I'm closer to Bill Friday than you might imagine. Your earlier blurb about losing $$$ is, like most of your hyperbole, simply not true in the manner you intend it. But you rant it any way and that's "our igilli" .... bless your heart.
Thanks to the poster that realizes I'm not the stereotype UNC fan. I'm called lots of names but NEVER that one. When a supposed UNCer posts something here that is off the loonie charts I cringe more than I do with the over-the-top stuff from UNC-dislikers.
EVERY fan base has its bottom-feeders.
I try not to be a bottom feeder
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:57 — PuddentainBut this week has been a real strain on the ol' will power. It's been soooo much fun!
You have a dispensation
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 21:03 — AgentPiercePudd: you have a special dispensation for the occcasional loon behavior. You have established on other subjects that you "have a real life". :>)
Gigging a sports rival is a perfectly acceptable "hobby" enjoyed by many. Its when it becomes one's life obsession, its time to check oneself.
I swear
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:30 — Heels20You've gotta be the troll from The Three Billy-Goats Gruff.
He's got a point
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 16:48 — NCBuff_CaniacAthletics at all "major colleges" have simply gotten out of hand. I started college at UNC and finished at Colorado and I love the teams for both schools. That being said, the size and influence of the athletic departments at both schools, dare I say all D1 schools, is completely out of whack. These are supposed to be universities that may happen to field a football team, not football or basketball teams that happen to have a university attached. I enjoy going to football and basketball games and I am upset when my school's team plays poorly (all too often these last few years for CU football fans). Heck, I even chair the local alumni chapter for CU, but that does not mean I don't think that college athletics is the tail wagging the dog. I think that is the point igliigli was making, or at least that is what I took from it.
There are very few
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:10 — TDiddytThere are very few "hard-core UNC-haters" out there, although I admit, they do exist and they tend to be very vocal.
Most of the 'hate' you describe is for a certain sub-population of the Carolina fan. You sir, Mr Pierce, fall far outside that group.
If fact, many of your fellow UNC'rs who fall in that fan sub-population would direct such hate towards you, for I have read other comments of yours regarding this situation, and you are not drinking the kool-aid.
like Gremlins
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 12:32 — gvillegatrthey do not die, they multiply! ... conspiracy theories.
Probably a smart move...
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:14 — ProwlingWoofieBut the Rams Club better be footing the bill for this - NOT NC taxpayers !
Dig some more, Ken - find the answer, please !
I agree
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 12:33 — gvillegatri'm sure that "modest" endowment will foot this bill.
What I get from this announcement...
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:08 — UNC1998is that UNC is disclosing all they can. They are being honest, accomodating, and helpful with the review. One might say.... this is bad, but I disagree. Why not bring in someone familiar with the process to offer insight and advice on your behalf? Not doing so is like going to a gunfight with a weedeater.
Investigators
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:17 — SpeaktruthI wonder if the NCAA Investigators know they have brought in for a review.....since typically investigators investigate.......reviewers review. I guess if you keep repeating it over and over again it becomes whatever you want it to become.........'there is no place like home.....there is no place like home" Is Dick the Wizard? or Butch?
Review v. Investigation
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:59 — pat28001I think that we ought to give the UNC Athletics Department kudos for giving us a clear, bright-line test to determine which commentators and reporters are in the 'Carolina Camp' and which are providing unbiased coverage of the events.
If the reporter/radio personality/commentator uses the term "review" then we know they merely parroting the UNC spin, if they use the more honest term "investigation", then it is much more likely that we have someone who may be giving us an honest effort to discover and report the actual news and events surrounding this episode from sources other than just UNC press releases.
Thanks UNC, for making is so easy to tell the players apart!!
Oops!
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:06 — mike27513More Wasted NC Taxpayer money on Professional Football Training Camp ,
[ College Football in general]
Um, according to econ 101,
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:00 — TDiddytUm, according to econ 101, any enterprise that returns a net profit is not a waste of money.
That said, the incurred cost of this investigation/review is outside the scope of normal football operations and should be covered by private funds.
The Purpose of a "University " is to train Professional athletes
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 21:45 — mike27513Of course if you believe the purpose of a "University" using NC Tax money is to train Pro athletes then no need for any other majors.
Somehow, throughout history "University" or universitas magistrorum et scholarium was founded for teaching specific arts and sciences.
But not of course for 4th rate "Football" schools
UNC sports make a profit. what a lie!
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 13:11 — igliigliCheck the P&L statements UNC files everyyear with the NCAA. Even with the school and the taxpayers covering millions of dollars in sports expenses, the teams still lose millions.
College sports, the biggest taxpayer and student rip-off around.
Well
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:56 — Heels20This is either precautionary, or we're screwed. Either way, I don't think we should expect this thing to get sorted out by next week.
Wow
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:54 — rod1972This $h!# is getting deep.
Lawyering Up
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:43 — googleThis must be EXTREMELY serious if UNC is "lawyering up."
Hired a lawyer?
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:38 — PuddentainYou can't swing a dead cat over in Chapel Hill without hitting a lawyer.
Who Pays?
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:24 — pat28001So who is paying for this $500+ an hour attorney? The taxpayers of the great State of North Carolina? I surely hope not.. though I suspect so.
"going through this"
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:12 — Speaktruthsay it ............say it...........INVESTIGATION. Not "review"....."process"....etc. John Edwards must be advising them on how to frame a response to this "review"....
Hiring a lawyer is another sign this "review" will turn out ugly in the end.
tax law
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:16 — izzykareemwhen i saw this story the first thing i thought of are people that owe 6-7 figures in back taxes so they hire a firm of former IRS agents to find a way to snake thru and get off easier. Tricky tricky UNC-CH.
Maybe the Honorable Secretary of State of NC should send a cease and desist letter (or letter of notice) to UNC-CH and Tricky Dick Baddour to not destroy evidence.
nOT A BAD ANALOGY
Fri, 08/13/2010 - 10:49 — JPDOhioI have often compared the NCAA rules to the tax code in terms of complexity. Because of that complexity, I think it is smart for UNC to hire an outside expert.
First, the outside attorney should have a broader range of knowledge and experience than internal counsel may have, based on work he may have done while employed by the NCAA and afterwards when consulting with other institutions.
Second, you get an independent, objective opinion on the appropriate course of action. This includes telling the decision-makers things they may not want to hear and recommending potentially painful courses of action. It oftentimes is tough for an employee to take the same approach.
Finally, an unsolicited piece of advice to anyone dumb enough to owe large amounts of back taxes. Forget the firms populated by former IRS agents. Hire a good CPA and do what he tells you to do.