Trouble for AU, Bobcats, TCU, etc?

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is now investigating whether top college athletic departments nationwide – including those at Auburn University, Ohio University and Texas Christian University – steered athletes and other students to education lenders in exchange for kickbacks.

Cuomo said Wednesday that he served 39 universities with subpoenas and requests for documents about deals between athletic departments and Student Financial Services Inc., which operates as University Financial Services. He said he’s looking at how team names, mascots and colors were used to suggest the company was the college’s preferred lender.

“Students trust their university’s athletic departments because so much of campus life at Division I schools centers around supporting the home team,” Cuomo said. “To betray this trust by promoting loans in exchange for money is a serious issue, especially when Division I schools already generate tremendous revenue from their student athletes.”

Cuomo began the investigation as an outgrowth of his national probe of student loan providers and college administrators, which he said uncovered a pattern of favoritism for lenders who provided kickbacks, “revenue sharing” plans, and trips and other gifts in exchange for designations as recommended lenders. Sometimes the colleges provided campus employees to staff telephone banks for lenders drumming up business.

Cuomo’s findings led to state and national reforms.

“Today’s action is an important new step as we continue to examine the unethical conflicts that pervade the student loan industry,” Cuomo said.

“Auburn University has no preferred provider of student financial aid,” Kirk Sampson, Auburn’s assistant athletic director for media relations, said in a statement. “However, the Auburn Athletic Department will thoroughly examine and respond to any suggestion that the university’s name, logo or any representation of it has been used improperly in connection with specific lenders.”

 

I find it hard to believe that would Auburn would ever cheat to get ahead in athletics.

 

Link???

 

I'm confused. The lead says "top college athletic departments"; and Ohio University is the second one mentioned.

 

They aren't the only ones... several universities are involved. In this state, it's UAB, Auburn and North Alabama; Michigan has Central Michigan, Northern Michigan, Detroit Mercy and Cleary,,,,
It's a nationwide probe


EDIT:THe list -- Arkansas State University; Auburn University; Bowling Green State University; Cal State Sacramento; Central Michigan University; Colorado State University; East Carolina University; Florida Atlantic University; Georgetown University; Georgia Tech; Georgia State University; Howard University; Indiana State University; Marquette University; Ohio University; Oregon State University; Rutgers University; Southern Illinois University; Tennessee Tech; Texas Christian University; Tulane University; University of Alabama-Birmingham; UCLA; UNC Greensboro; University of Central Florida; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Houston; University of Kansas; University of Louisville; University of New Orleans; University of North Alabama; University of Oregon; University of Pittsburgh; University of South Florida; University of Texas at San Antonio; University of Texas El Paso; University of Texas Pan American; Wayne State University; Wright State University, and Youngstown State University.

 

Since when has OU had a "top" college program?

Hi, SC!

(Wait, you mean my alma mater is on the list, also? Oh.)

 

Yeah, because Wayne State doesn't have enough problems.

 

Seems to me like unless this is a federal investigation, all 39 of these schools can tell New York to pound sand.

 

Yeah, FB, I'm really wondering what Cuomo's interest is, since no NY schools seem to be involved.

 

But NY financial institutions? Therein lies the rub.

 

Dead. To. Me!!!!!!!!

And the volleyball team is quite good.

 

As close as you will get is Rutgers, which is on the list.