ACC commissioner Jim Phillips stated that NCAA president Charlie Baker assured him Clemson's tampering claim against Ole Miss will be addressed. Phillips emphasized the need for repercussions for improper behavior in college sports.
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What ACC commissioner said about Dabo Swinney's tampering claim vs Ole Miss
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said NCAA president Charlie Baker and his staff "promised" him that Clemson's tampering claim against Ole Miss will "be dealt with."
"There has to be repercussions for improper behavior," Phillips said May 13 at the ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida. "Until that occurs, I think the tampering piece, maybe, stays at the level where that it's at now."
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called out Ole Miss and coach Pete Golding on Jan. 23 for what theĀ Tigers coach said was tampering with transferĀ linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
Clemson lost Ferrelli, a Cal linebacker who is the ACC's defensive rookie of the year, to Ole Miss. He transferred toĀ ClemsonĀ on Jan. 7, thenĀ reentered the portal on Jan. 16 to transfer to Ole MissĀ on Jan. 22.
Swinney said GoldingĀ was contacting FerrelliĀ despite him transferring to Clemson, being enrolled in classes and participating in team workouts.
Swinney stated that Golding texted Ferrelli while he was in class saying, "I know you're signed. What's the buyout?" with a photo of a $1 million contract.
Jim Phillips stated that NCAA president Charlie Baker promised him that Clemson's tampering claim against Ole Miss will be addressed.
Phillips indicated that there must be repercussions for improper behavior, suggesting that the tampering issue needs to be taken seriously.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made the tampering claim against Ole Miss and its coach Pete Golding regarding transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
The ACC spring meetings took place on May 13 in Amelia Island, Florida.
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After Ferrelli informed Swinney of his decision to transfer to Ole Miss, Swinney said he called Clemson athletic director Graham Neff and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who called SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, and turned the evidence into the NCAA for tampering. Clemson is awaiting the organization's ruling.
Golding responded to the claim on March 31, saying, "There's two sides to every story. I'm not going to sit up here and use the podium as a grandstand and all of that. That's why there is enforcement. That's why we have our compliance office. They do all that."
Golding added: "(Ferrelli) is a kid that wanted to be here. We wanted him to be here. At the end of it, he came over and he's here right now."
Tampering in college athletics is when teams contact players who are on other teams. That is against the rules.
In many cases, teams will do that to try to get players into the transfer portal. However, accusations are rarely publicized.
Teams are not allowed to tamper with athletes, according to NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.4. Here's what the full rule says:
"An athletics staff member or other representative of the institution's athletics interests shall not communicate or make contact with the student-athlete of another NCAA Division I institution, or any individual associated with the student-athlete (e.g., family member, scholastic or nonscholastic coach, advisor), directly or indirectly, without first obtaining authorization through the notification of transfer process.
"Before making contact, directly or indirectly, with a student-athlete of an NCAA Division II or Division III institution, or an NAIA four-year collegiate institution, an athletics staff member or other representative of the institution's athletics interests shall comply with the rule of the applicable division or the NAIA rule for making contact with a student-athlete."
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him atĀ DCarter@usatodayco.comĀ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: ACC commissioner reacts about Clemson's tampering claim vs Ole Miss