Mississippi State reports 10 violations to SEC, including a sticker infraction

According to a report in the Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi State’s football program reported 10 secondary violations to the SEC from the 2013-14 academic year, one of which involved a sticker.

That’s right, MSU earned itself a violation when it sent a “Junior Day” packet of materials to a recruit last January. The materials in the packet were completely legal, but the sticker sealing the packet reading “Elite Junior Day 2014 Official Invite” apparently crossed the line, earning the football program a violation.

The C-L obtained the list of violations through a public records request, but the names of players and coaches involved in the violations were exempt from the report under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

The football program’s 10 violations were more than any other program at Mississippi State, but many of the violations were minor recruiting infractions comparable to “sticker-gate.” The SEC accepted Mississippi State’s self-imposed penalties in response to the violations.

The football program’s violations are as follows:

• Sept. 25, 2013 – Football regarding permissible recruiting materials. Prospect was sent materials at the start of his sophomore year. Student worker entered he was a junior.
• Sept. 25, 2013 – Football regarding electronic transmissions to a prospective student-athlete. A person inside the football program received a tweet from a prospect’s parent. He mistakenly replied with a regular tweet instead of a direct message.
• Oct. 28, 2013 – A local apartment complex used the likeness of several MSU football players in a tweet without their knowledge or consent.
• Nov. 15, 2013 – Football involving an assistant coach making multiple phone calls in a week to a prospect during the week of 11/14/13.
• Dec. 2, 2013 – Football involving limitation on the number of official visits a prospect may be provided. An East Mississippi Community College football player was provided an official visit to MSU on Nov. 15-17 after he had already taken five official visits.
• Jan. 9, 2014 – A web site used a current football player’s name. The site sold items bearing the player’s name and likeness.
• Jan. 29, 2014 – Football regarding permissible materials sent to prospects. MSU sent out a “Junior Day” invitation. The back of the envelope was sealed with an “Elite Junior Day 2014 Official Invite” sticker. The contents were within the guidelines. The sticker was deemed a violation.
• Jan. 29, 2014 – Football regarding activities during an official visit. On Jan. 18, 2014 MSU’s football staff set up a table in the locker room to display game equipment. The display table was determined to be a “special addition” to the locker room, and thus a violation.
• Feb. 27, 2014 – Football regarding publicity during a recruiting contact. On Feb. 1, 2014 a local caterer providing meals to prospects on an official visits tweeted “Feeding recruits on final weekend before signing day!!!”
• March 16, 2014 – Football regarding public communication with a prospect. On Feb. 12, 2014 a football grad assistant responded to a prospect’s tweet publicly instead of through a direct message.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.