SEC: Could The SEC Be In Trouble?

Football in the SEC has dominated the national landscape with all the national titles they have won over the last 10 years. Every season it seems like the favorite to win the BCS Title is from the SEC and almost every year that comes to fruition. Now the SEC may be in some trouble with the NCAA.

According to Yahoo! Sports, former Tennessee QB Tyler Bray, former Alabama All-American tackle D.J. Fluker, Tennessee starting defensive end Maurice Couch and former Mississippi State players Fletcher Cox and Chad Bumphis all received impermissible benefits prior to completing their collegiate careers.

Luther Davis a former Alabama defensive end acted as an intermediary between the players and multiple NFL agents and financial advisers. These allegations would violate NCAA bylaw 12.3.1.2, which prohibits athletes from receiving extra benefits from prospective agents or marketing representatives.

If these reports are true and the NCAA finds out that more players also received impermissible benefits while still in college this could wipe some history out of the history books. The violation could impact D.J. Fluker’s eligibility during the 2012 season when Alabama won the Discover BCS National Title.

Alabama athletic director Bill Battle said in a statement Wednesday after being told of the report.

“Our compliance department was looking into this situation prior to being notified that this story was actually going to be published,” Battle said in the release. “Our review is ongoing. We diligently educate our student-athletes on maintaining compliance with NCAA rules, and will continue to do so.”

The report named three NFL agents and three financial advisers who Yahoo! said engaged in transactions totaling at least $45,550 with Davis between September 2011 and December 2012.

Tennessee athletic department spokesman Jimmy Stanton also said the university emphasizes rules compliance.

“The education of our student-athletes regarding NCAA rules and extra benefits is and will continue to be the central focus of our compliance efforts,” Stanton said. “We are aware of the article and are examining all of the relevant facts, and we will not comment further.”

Other players that are believed to have received benefits are former Alabama safety Mark Barron and current Alabama defensive end Ed Stinson.

Follow Zach Curtis on Twitter @ZCurtis

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