The NCAA'S Dilemma: Cecil and Cam Newton

Cecil and Cam Newton

 The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton, poses a problem for the NCAA, a problem they have not dealt with effectively. Obviously, something is amiss in Newton's choice to play at Auburn instead of Mississippi State. Cam says he did nothing wrong, and the NCAA says that he was unaware of  any  failed pay-for-play scheme. Cam's father, Cecil, is another situation. Apparently, whatever shenanigans Cecil was pulling off, Cam was kept out of the loop, probably intentionally Also, it is interesting that Cam never bothered to ask his father about the charges of a payment scheme.

If the NCAA is going to allow Cam to continue to play even though the father was trying to turn a profit, they will have opened a huge can of worms. If immediate family members can break the rules with no repercussions for the athlete, the NCAA will not be able to enforce its rules.The family will leave the athlete in the dark in case they get caught. If the athlete can compete as though nothing is wrong, abuses will flourish.

Obviously, the father has not explained away his problems. Auburn does not want him hanging around, and his absence at the Heisman ceremony was noteworthy. Whatever the sins of the father, they necessarily taint the son and the NCAA will have to confront that.