Getty ImagesIt was reported Monday that Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris had been cited very early Sunday morning after being clocked doing 118 mph — on a suspended driver’s license.
Today brings word that the university may also have some questions to answer/facts to investigate because of the vehicle in which Harris was driving.
Harris was driving a 2011 Nissan Altima, which was a rental from a local Hertz Rent-A-Car outlet. The potential issue for the school arises from the fact that the vehicle rental was paid for by a university employee.
As noted by KEZI, the television station that broke the latest development in this story, NCAA bylaws strictly prohibit “[a]n institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests” from providing “a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to: The use of an automobile.”
A woman who purports to work for the university — she wouldn’t allow her name or position to be used — acknowledged in an interview with the TV station that she had initially paid for the rental car, but claimed that Harris and another individual paid her the full amount of the rental after asking to borrow it.
“So, I rented the car for my own purposes on Friday. Cliff Harris and his licensed friend, who showed me his license, asked to borrow it and paid me the full amount in cash that I paid for the rental,” the unidentified member of UO’s faculty/staff told the station.
“I do have a copy of my bank statement, showing two deposits Friday of $180 and $120.”
If there’s a paper trail as the woman claims, and this plays out the way the woman has laid it out, there will likely be no — or relatively minor — NCAA issues for the school. If not, if she’s “tweaked” or engineered for Harris’ benefit the way the actual events went down? The NCAA will have an even greater interest than they likely already do.
This could be bad for the Ducks.
She rented the vehicle she should be driving it. I’m sure the rental contract does not allow for “selling” her rental. rights. It’s all dirty and she is just stupid.
cash deposits are not really evidence of a “paper trail”
OOOPS!!! Another one bites the dust…
Something stinks here…
- Dude is on a suspended license, so obviously he has a history of doing this.
- Way past reckless driving, and on a suspended license? My thoughts is he should do some jail time as he simply shows no desire to follow the law.
- Does this woman think we are stupid? A paper trail doesn’t mean anything. It is a rental car. she just rented the vehicle for “her own purposes” and then decided… oh… I don’t need it afterall, so instead of taking it back, I will sell the rights to it. So she just handed it over to a third guy and checked his license? Not to mention $300 dollars in payments? Not many college kids rolling around campus with that kind of money. And the ones that do, already have a car.
This, on top of the recruiting stench from back in the spring…. Oregon will definitely be on the NCAA’s radar. Especially if they lose to LSU.
The rental contracts explicitly state who is supposed to be the driver on the car and if any other parties are authorized to drive.
Her renting the car in her name and letting someone else drive it, let alone get pulled over in it, would likely mean problems with the rental company at the least.
Anyone care to guess what would have happened if this had occurred in Columbus?
Espn has decided for us via College Football Live there is nothing to see here.
Once again, its okay to break the law (double speeding is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions because its reckless driving). Its also okay to break contracts (bet our little lead-foot isnt on the rental contract prolly cause he’s not 25). HOWEVER, DO NOT BREAK THE NCAA BYLAWS!!!
But wait! The media has said there is nothing to see here. So lets keep it movin’. I heard from a friend’s cousin’s baby momma’s other baby’s daddy that his sister-in-law knows an anonymous source who says they were present when a Buckeye player ran out of toilet paper in an adjoining stall and someone handed him a brand new roll. We need to get to the bottom of this ASAP, especailly if it was two-ply.
Chip Kelly has a past of suspending his own players, Harris should get suspended, which could cost the Ducks a title.
I used to work for ERAC, and i can tell you that the laws are different in each state, but they would never authorize a rental to someone with a suspended drivers license. the car was towed, and the renter of the vehicle will be stuck with the following fees: impound, ticket, an extra fee, and of course a the daily fee of the vehicle. TxGrown is right you can’t sell out the rights to a rental vehicle, because it is up to the rental company to determine whom can drive a car.
Don’t rental agreement have age limits? How old is this kid?
Stupid is as stupid does.
angelheartsbuckeyes says:
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I guess now isn’t the time to post that ESPN has put this story on its front page. That would certainly put a damper on your whole conspiracy theory talk, wouldn’t it?
Let’s see if Chip Kelly will suspend him for their biggest game of the year?? Not to mention, that should be the least of his worries. He needs some Jail time.