The Arizona State Football Investigation and how it affects Oregon, the Pac-12

The Sun Devils are facing an NCAA investigation that could change the landscape of college football on the West Coast

On November 23, 2019, Arizona State upset Oregon 31-28 in a late night thriller in Tempe. Their win virtually eliminated the Ducks from the race for a spot in the College Football Playoff and it became the signature moment of the Herm Edwards tenure. At the time, many believed it was the first sign of a promising future for the upstart Sun Devils.

That narrative changed last week when reports surfaced that the NCAA is launching an investigation into the Arizona State football program for potential recruiting violations.

The Athletic was the first to break the story and many other outlets have added additional information since. Notably, multiple media members have used the phrase “tip of the iceberg” in reference to the ASU information we’ve heard so far, suggesting that more alleged violations may be reported in the near future.

So what do we know? What are the facts? To answer this question I’ll draw heavily from Pete Thamel’s story on Yahoo Sports. 

You can read the full story here.

First, we know that there is an NCAA investigation. “Arizona State vice president for media relations Katie Paquet confirmed the NCAA investigation to Yahoo Sports, which was first reported by The Athletic. She declined further comment on specific allegations.”

Thamel’s report suggests that the investigation stems from a “dossier” which provided “specific evidence of multiple examples of high school prospects taking illicit on-campus recruiting trips to the Arizona State campus.” These trips were in violation of the NCAA mandated recruiting dead period in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which was in effect from March 2020 through May 31, 2021.

“Multiple sources indicated that at least 30 players visited campus over a span of months, a practice so common coaches referenced ‘official visit weekends’ in staff meetings, coaches bumped into recruits and families in a back stairwell and a routine developed of facility tours being given around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. at night.”

If the report is accurate, this indicates that the Arizona State staff showed consistent disregard for NCAA rules. The violations imply awareness and involvement from the entire staff including head coach Herm Edwards.

This is far from the first time a program has been accused of violating NCAA rules, but it is a particularly striking example in the context of COVID-19 restrictions. The reported trips both gave ASU a competitive advantage in recruiting and risked the health and safety of recruits and their families during a pandemic.

Thamel’s report also suggests a culture problem at ASU, resulting largely from the polarizing leadership of Defensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator Antonio Pierce. 

“Multiple former staff members told Yahoo Sports they’d be happy to speak to the NCAA, an unusual stance in a football culture that frowns on anyone speaking to the NCAA. It speaks to how divided the staff at ASU became.”

So what does this all mean for Oregon and the Pac -12? For the conference it’s not good. Arizona State and Herm Edwards were rising stars in the conference and figured to be the next threat to the recent success of Utah and USC in the Pac-12 South.

Now all of that is in question. Speculation has of course begun about the future of Arizona State football. Specifically, whether this will cost Edwards, his staff, or even the Athletic Director, Ray Anderson, their jobs.

To be clear, a cloud of uncertainty now hangs over the Arizona State program. The NCAA is an unpredictable body. There simply isn’t a dependable standard for the timetable of the investigation or the severity of the sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have the start of fall camp and a football season just around the corner. Recruiting is still ticking along as always.

Undoubtedly, this investigation will leave a shadow over all of that. With the investigation ongoing, the Sun Devils landed a commitment from Virginia running back Tevin White on Thursday.

For the Ducks, this story presents some pros and cons. A setback for ASU removes a potential barrier to Oregon’s conference title hopes. At the same time, it removes a potential resume building win. 

That diminished strength of schedule in conference could make out of conference tests like Ohio State and Georgia the next two seasons all the more important. 

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