Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is accusing Mississippi coach Pete Golding of tampering with transfer player Luke Ferrelli and said Friday he has forwarded evidence to the NCAA.
鈥淚f you tamper with my players, I鈥檓 going to turn you in. It鈥檚 just that simple,鈥� Swinney said during a news conference. 鈥淚鈥檓 not out to get anybody fired, but there has to be accountability and consequences for this type of behavior and total disregard for the rules.
鈥淚f this happened in the NFL, which is an actual league with rules, they would be fined, they would take draft picks, they hit the cap, whatever,鈥� Swinney continued. 鈥淭his is such a terrible example for young coaches in this profession. … To me, this situation is like having an affair on your honeymoon.鈥�
Ferrelli, a former linebacker at California, entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2 and committed to Clemson four days later. Ferrelli subsequently enrolled, began classes, and began attending meetings and workouts, Swinney said.
Ferrelli reentered the portal on Jan. 22 and committed to Ole Miss.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 sign with the Browns and practice a week, and then the Dolphins call you and say we鈥檙e going to give you a little more money and you say, 鈥楽ee ya, boys,鈥� and go play for the Dolphins. That鈥檚 not the real world,鈥� Swinney said.
Ole Miss athletic officials did not respond to Swinney’s allegations when contacted on Friday by The Associated Press.
NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said in a statement that the association 鈥渨ill investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved as required by NCAA rules.鈥�
Swinney alleged that Golding maintained contact with Ferrelli after the linebacker had enrolled at Clemson, even texting, 鈥淚 know you鈥檙e signed, but what is your buyout?鈥�
When Swinney found out about it, he said he initially told Clemson general manager Jordan Sorrells that he wanted to give Golding 鈥渟ome grace鈥� because the Rebels’ coach was newly promoted after Lane Kiffin left for LSU over Thanksgiving weekend.
Swinney asked Sorrells to tell Ole Miss officials 鈥渢hat we know what鈥檚 going on, and if he doesn鈥檛 cease communication, I鈥檓 going to turn him in. I really thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn鈥檛.鈥�
Swinney said Ferrelli’s agent confirmed that Golding had continued reaching out to the player, so Clemson officials asked for copies of the text messages.
鈥淭he agent communicated that if we were to add a second year at $1 million to the already agreed-upon deal with Luke, then they would gladly give us whatever we need to turn Ole Miss in,鈥� Swinney said. 鈥淛ordan, appropriately, said, 鈥楴o, we鈥檙e not doing that.鈥欌��
Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said the university鈥檚 main reason for making the allegations public was to spur changes to the college football calendar and related rules 鈥� or lack thereof 鈥� that have contributed to upheaval across the sport.
鈥淭he NCAA was surprised a school was willing to come forward as directly and transparently as we were,鈥� Neff said. 鈥淲e need to look real hard at how we got here, but (also) how to get out of it.鈥�
Neff added that Clemson was exploring its legal options.
鈥淭his is not about a linebacker at Clemson,鈥� Swinney added. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want anyone on our team that doesn鈥檛 want to be here.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the next kid and about the message being sent if this blatant tampering is allowed to happen without any consequences.鈥�
Swinney also called the January transfer portal window 鈥渟tupid,鈥� saying it causes 鈥渇lat-out extortion in some cases鈥� because players and schools are making major decisions during 鈥渟uch a short period of time, right in the middle of when people are trying to play bowl games, playoff games, et cetera.鈥�
If the system is not reformed, Swinney warned, there will be unintended consequences for players who transfer among multiple schools while chasing short-term financial payouts 鈥� particularly if they don’t make it to the NFL.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have some screwed-up 30-year-olds … that have no degrees, that have spent their money, that can鈥檛 play football anymore and aren鈥檛 connected to anything,鈥� Swinney said.
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