Miami is reportedly set to meet with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions for the Nevin Shapiro case this week, but the former university booster who allegedly provided numerous impermissible benefits to UM athletes is apparently still talking to anyone willing to listen.
The Miami Herald‘s Barry Jackson reports that Shapiro is alleging more misconduct in a soon-to-be published piece from Sports Illustrated, which will shine more light on the NCAA’s investigation of the Miami program. Specifically, one new allegation from Shapiro involves UM coaches providing inside information to him for gambling purposes. From Jackson’s column:Shapiro told SI that he used inside information obtained from UM coaches to gamble on Hurricanes football games, according to the sources.
Shapiro alleged that coaches shared with him information --- such as whether a particular injured player would be available to play --- in at least two games, including in 2005 and a 2007 game against North Carolina, which UM lost, 33-27.
What? Allegations of prostitutes and strip clubs weren’t enough?
The NCAA prohibits student-athletes and athletic department employees from gambling, and providing insider information to third parties for such purposes could potentially get a program in trouble as well. However, Jackson reports that the NCAA already investigated Shapiro’s gambling claims, but found no concrete evidence to support them and no gambling allegations are mentioned in Miami’s Notice of Allegations.
Miami’s NOA has not been made public.
Shapiro, a well-documented gambler who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for running a nearly $1 billion Ponzi scheme, was reportedly “frustrated” with the NCAA because he believes they did not “adequately investigate his claims involving the matter.”
It’s not clear if or how SI’s piece will affect UM’s hearing with the COI since the NCAA has apparently already looked into the gambling allegation, nor is it known what other allegations Shapiro makes, if any, in the SI article.
Miami received its Notice of Allegations earlier this year following the NCAA’s lengthy investigation into the program and Shapiro’s claims. However, due largely in part because of numerous missteps within the NCAA’s enforcement arm during the investigative process, the university filed a motion to dismiss the NCAA’s case in March. Miami has also called for no additional punitive measures beyond the ones self-imposed by the university.