The University football team finds itself in hot water for the second straight offseason, this time for transactions between the athletic department and two scouting services.
Oregon paid $25,000 to the Texas-based Complete Scouting Services and $3,745 to New Level Athletics, according to state records. It is common practice for universities to pay for scouting reports on high school prospects, but these transactions caught the NCAA’s attention.
The NCAA requested Oregon to show documentation on Friday of the payments.
“We have been asked to provide a series of documents by the NCAA and intend to fully cooperate,” Athletic Director Rob Mullens said in a statement. “I reiterate that it is our belief that the purchase of such services is within the allowable NCAA guidelines.”
At center stage of the investigation is Houston scout Will Lyles of Complete Scouting Services, who is reportedly close with Oregon running backs Lache Seastrunk and LaMichael James. NCAA officials, according to ESPN.com, are looking into whether Lyles had any role in Texas-native Seastrunk’s commitment to the University in January 2010.
The story broke on Thursday, March 3, when similar reports surfaced from both Yahoo Sports and ESPN.com. The University athletic department responded later in the afternoon with a written statement.
“This is no different than services purchased by a number of colleges and universities throughout the country,” athletic department spokesman Dave Williford said in the release. “This is something we remain confident that is within acceptable guidelines allowed by the NCAA and occurred with the knowledge of the department’s compliance office.”
The athletic department also released invoices detailing the payments to both services. The $25,000 to Complete Scouting Services was for the “2011 National Package,” which included “game film, highlight film, high school & junior colleges.” The money sent to New Level Athletics, meanwhile, was for “recruiting service.”
Still, the NCAA is expected to continue its investigation in search of clues regarding Lyles’ connection to the University and Seastrunk. The redshirt freshman from Temple, Texas, committed to Oregon on Jan. 27, 2010. After being invoiced by Lyles on Feb. 22, 2010, Complete Scouting Services sent a purchase order to the University’s business office on March 24, 2010, which was completed shortly thereafter, according to The Register-Guard.
In the end, NCAA officials aim to find out whether Seastrunk’s January commitment was connected in any way to the subsequent $25,000 payment to Lyles’ service. If Lyles did indeed sway Seastrunk’s choice, he would be considered a booster for the University. Payments to school boosters are in direct violation of NCAA rules.
Though no solidified evidence exists that this was the case, recent discoveries do little to put the matter to bed. Last Friday, The Register-Guard’s Rob Moseley discovered that the website for Lyles’ Complete Scouting Services had added a $25,000 “National Package” to its list of items. According to Moseley, that package had not existed the day before.          
As of Sunday, neither Seastrunk nor Lyles had been reached for comment on the matter.
Seastrunk’s mother, Evelyn, however, did speak to ESPN.com and said she had no knowledge of any payments being made to Lyles.
Oregon is coming off a 12-1 season during which it lost to Auburn University in the BCS National Championship game. The program ran into trouble during the 2010 offseason when a slew of arrests occurred shortly after a Rose Bowl appearance. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off the team and James was suspended for one game.
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