UNC defensive tackle Marvin Austin has been subpoenaed in North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall's investigation of possible violations of the state's Uniform Athlete Agent Act, two sources with knowledge of the subpoena told the News & Observer on Friday.
The Associated Press also reported that Austin has been subpoenaed.
Austin is one of 13 players who are being held out of tonight's season opener with LSU in Atlanta as a result of the NCAA's investigation of the UNC program. Part of that investigation includes possible impermissible benefits players may have received from agents.
In the summer of 2009, Austin and then-UNC teammate Cam Thomas traveled to California to train at Proactive Sports Performance. Thomas said another former UNC teammate who was then with the San Francisco 49ers, Kentwan Balmer, paid for the trip.
That payment could be construed by the NCAA as an impermissible benefit that might have made Austin and Thomas ineligible for the 2009 season and could force UNC to vacate its records from that season.
Balmer's agent is Gary Wichard, who once employed current UNC assistant coach John Blake as vice president of his agency, Pro Tect Sports Management. Blake coached Balmer, Thomas and Austin on the UNC defensive line.
North Carolina's Uniform Athlete Agent Act requires agents to register with the state and prevents them from giving or promising anything of value to players the agents are trying to recruit.
Comments
Austin should be gone!
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 21:59 — coastalvoiceAustin's ignorance is unbelievable! Under investigation, under subpoena and under a cloud of suspicion, what do you do? You go to Atanta - on who's dime? - and watch your homies play ball on NATIONAL TV. Looks like he is having a good time and nothing is amiss in his life. What an idiot! He should be dismissed from the team and expelled from UNC.
Maybe they need a class and a pamplet on what not to do.....
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 20:56 — BigMonsterHow can these guys be so stupid? Did they think they would not get caught? Not in today's world. You would not beleive how many people have access to your social media even though you have not given them access.
Schools, employers, job recruiters, police, ... all have access to you facebook pages.........
All of the suspended
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 18:20 — IKWUMAll of the suspended players, including Austin, should immediately obtain legal counsel in order to protect themselves. Because of the many mistakes that both the NCAA and UNC have made in the current investigations, there is a high probability that the affected athletes could obtain injuctions holding off probable suspensions and loss of scholarships.
The thought of Austin
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 16:35 — awdracerThe thought of Austin refusing to answer a question cracks me up. The guy runs his mouth non-stop.
Austin is probably
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 07:48 — BOHECAAustin is probably kicking himself for not turning pro last year. His "agent" i mean adviser should have warned him about the dangers of social networking. regardless, there were probably too many kids caught up in this for the ncaa not get wind of it. It is a shame for the UNC program on a personal level, however, i love the "comeupance" now facing those uppity Tarheel fans.
He will probably "lawyer up" and have selective memory loss during his questioning.