Excerpt: She made an unofficial visit to Storrs for UConn's Senior Night game with Marquette last February and returned for the Huskies' "First Night" program in October.
That weekend she found herself sitting in Auriemma's office with former UConn All-America guards Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi eating a Wendy's meal.
"I was hanging out with them, having normal conversations, feeling comfortable," Doty said. "I just felt like, 'Wow, I could see myself here.' I wanted to give the other schools an opportunity for me to feel that way and I did go to other schools. It was just that moment was stuck in my head and it still is."
I am not an expert on NCAA rules and when former players can and can not have contact with recruits. I would have to go research the specifics. But my basic understanding is that the contact must be incidental and very limited and not arranged by the school or allowed or facilitated by the school.
This was a PUBLISHED newspaper report. How many other schools' compliance reps saw it and spit their coffee out? Was Auriemma also present? If so, I'd say it's 100 percent a recruiting violation. If not, I don't know. Can a recruit use the coach's office to have lunch with former players?
NCAA Regulations (unofficial visits)
13.7.2 Entertainment/Tickets.
13.7.2.1 General Restrictions.
During an unofficial visit, the institution may not pay any expenses or provide any entertainment except a maximum of three complimentary admissions (issued only through a pass list) to a home athletics event at any facility within a 30-mile radius of a member institution's main campus in which the institution's intercollegiate team practices or competes. Such complimentary admissions are for the exclusive use of the prospective student-athlete and those persons accompanying the prospective student-athlete on the visit and must be issued on an individual-game basis. Such admissions may provide seating only in the general seating area of the facility used for conducting the event. Providing seating during the conduct of the event (including intermission) for the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's parents [or legal guardian(s)] or spouse in the facility's press box, special seating box(es) or bench area is specifically prohibited. (Revised: 1/10/90 effective 8/1/90, 1/11/94, 4/24/03)
so it was an unpaid unofficial visit that Doty made to UConn so
13.7.2.1.1 Meals.
A prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit to an institution may pay the actual cost of meals (or the regular cost of training-table meals) and eat with other prospective student-athletes who are on their official visits or with enrolled student-athletes.
THIS SAYS NOTHING ABOUT EATING WENDY'S IN THE COACHES OFFICE WITH FAMOUS ALUMNI13.7.2.1.7 Student Host.
A student host used during an unofficial visit must either be a current student-athlete or a student who is designated in a manner consistent with the institution's policies for providing campus visits or tours to prospective students in general. (Revised: 8/5/04)
I DON'T THINK DT AND BIRD QUALIFY AS STUDENT HOSTS AND i DOUBT THAT GENO'S INNER SANCTUM IS ON THE TYPICAL COLLEGE TOUR
13.7.3 Activities During Unofficial Visit.
An institution may not arrange miscellaneous, personalized recruiting aids (e.g., personalized jerseys, personalized audio/visual scoreboard presentations) and may not permit a prospective student-athlete to engage in any game-day simulations (e.g., running onto the field with the team during pregame introductions) during an unofficial visit. Personalized recruiting aids include any decorative items and special additions to any location the prospective student-athlete will visit (e.g., hotel room, locker room, coach's office, conference room, arena) regardless of whether or not the items include the prospective student-athlete's name or picture. (Adopted: 8/5/04; Revised: 5/14/05, 4/27/06)
HMMM HAVING A COUPLE OF ALL AMERICANS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE AN EXTRA WENDY'S MEAL SITTING IN THE COACHES INNER SANCTUM WHERE THE RECRUIT CAN PICTURE HERSELF---------- well I guess i can see how one might find that a bit sketchy.
Taurasi also assumes Tennessee might be angry about alleged contact between alumni and recruits during on-campus visits by former UConn players who return to see coach Geno Auriemma and his staff.
"All these reasons are ridiculous," Taurasi said. "If you are going to blame Coach Auriemma for having players who love him and come back to see him, then it's just too bad. When I visit him, and I try to do so as often as I can because of all his family did for me when I was there, the only people I talk to are the current players." From the Angry Taurasi Fires Back Article
Well DT according to Caroline Doty "I was hanging out with them, having normal conversations, feeling comfortable," Doty said. "I just felt like, 'Wow, I could see myself here.' I wanted to give the other schools an opportunity for me to feel that way and I did go to other schools. It was just that moment was stuck in my head and it still is."
So which is it Diana?
Did you just talk with current players?
Or did you buy Caroline Doty a Wendy's meal and sit and talk with her with Bird in Geno's office IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF NCAA REGULATIONS?
Who is telling the truth?
You or Caroline?
A Second Problem with the TRUTH
Jimmy Hyams on Sports Animal Radio
Jimmy went into some detail about his short conversation with Joan Cronan
Cronan said the Taurasi article was the first time she heard Taurasi's name specifically attached to the ride complaint. I assume that means that Tennessee was not the source of the ride complaint. That does not mean that Taurasi's name didn't come up in another part of the complaint.
Quote: "I reported yesterday that Joan Cronan said she'd never heard of the charges filed by Taurasi regarding giving Maya Moore a ride in Atlanta. Pat Summitt declined comment on the issue."
Evidently Caroline Doty called Pat Summitt to tell her of her decision to go to UConn " after her lunch with Geno, Bird and Taurasi in Geno’s office." UConn will probably claim that it was just a coincidence that Bird and Taurasi were both on campus when Caroline came for a visit and for lunch and that it was not set up that way which evidently would be a violation because ALUMNI are not supposed to be involved in recruiting other than to answer questions when they happen to run into recruits unplanned. If you believe that one well I've got this bridge to Brooklyn.
Paraphrasing as closely as possible:
So Maria has been correct in her assumptions that the ride and the sign were either no part or a minor part of the SEC complaint to the NCAA..Jimmy Hyams doesn't know ALL of the complaint and he's trying to find out the complete complaint
UConn has not released the complete complaint and the DAY and the Courant are trying to say the ride and the sign were "two primary allegations". If these are the only TWO primary allegations why doesn't UCONN release an official statement with the entire complaint? Tennessee, the SEC, and the NCAA are not allowed to release the information but UCONN can.
According to Hyams Joan told the UConn AD and Pat told Geno exactly why they chose not to sign the contract. The fact is that only UConn can make the entire contents of the SEC complaint known.
