Georgia running back Todd Gurley has been indefinitely suspended due to what was termed a "memorabilia-related" NCAA violation, a source told CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd on Thursday. The violation is believed to at least involve autographs, a separate source told Dodd.
Earlier, in an official statment released by the school, Georgia said Gurley had been suspended as a result of "an ongoing investigation into an alleged violation of NCAA rules."
If Gurley accepted compensation for items related to his image and/or likeness, he could face a multi-game suspension depending on the amount, Dodd reports. A source told Dodd that a video does indeed exist of Gurley signing the items but no money is visibly exchanged on that particular footage.
According to SI.com's Andy Staples:
A person confirmed to Georgia’s compliance office this week that he paid Gurley $400 to sign 80 items on campus in Athens, Ga., one day this past spring. The person claimed to have a photo and video of Gurley signing the items, but neither the photo nor the video showed money changing hands. NCAA rules require schools to immediately declare a player ineligible if they discover a violation has been committed. Schools may then apply for the player’s reinstatement. ...
A check of the James Spence Authentication database revealed 90 consecutively numbered pieces of Gurley-signed memorabilia (J19709-J19799), as well as another lot of 20 consecutively numbered pieces (H85318-H85338) of Gurley-signed memorabilia. JSA is one of the leading autograph authentication services. Consecutive authentication numbers suggest all the items were submitted at once following a large-scale signing.
ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, citing a source in the autograph injustry, reports that "it was known that Gurley was seeking between $8 and $25 per signature, charging less to an autograph dealer if he signed more pieces." Furthermore, ESPN's story notes that "at least 500 Gurley signed items" were given certificates of authenticity by JSA.
Per NCAA bylaws, a withholding penalty for a post-enrollment acceptance of money can be applied as a suspension depending on the value of the benefit.
If the value of the impermissable benefit is $100 or less, the player must repay the amount he or she received. If the value ranges from $100 to $400, a 10 percent withholding penalty is applied in addition to the repayment. That withholding penalty increases to 20 percent for amounts from $400 to $700, and to 30 percent to amounts greater than $700.
A 10 percent withholding penalty would equal 1.2 games (based on a 12-game season) and be rounded up to two games. A 20 percent withholding would equal 2.4 games and be rounded up to three games. A 30 percent penalty would equal 3.6 games and be rounded up to four games. Lengthier penalties could be applied, and mitigating circumstances can also affect the penalties.
Four years ago, Dodd was among those to report on Georgia's A.J. Green being suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season after he was deemend to have sold his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000.
Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel was suspended for the first half of the 2013 opener for what was termed in "inadvertent violation" of NCAA rules. The NCAA found no evidence Manziel had received money for his autograph(s).
In 2010, the NCAA originally suspended Alabama star defensive tackle Marcell Dareus for four games after he was found to have accepted approximately $1,800 in improper benefits. The NCAA eventually reduced the suspension to two games citing mitigating circumstances.
"I'm obviously very disappointed," head coach Mark Richt said in a school-released statement. "The important thing for our team is to turn all our attention toward preparation for Missouri."
Considered the Heisman frontrunner by many at this point, Gurley missing even one game would mean a blow to his chances for the award. The last Heisman winner to miss at least a game and win the trophy was Florida State's Charlie Ward in 1993. Gurley has been one of the most productive players in the country, rushing for 773 yards (8.22 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns, adding another score from his duties as a kick return specialist.
He is without a doubt the most important part of the Bulldogs' offense, and this is a tough setback for Georgia as it heads into a pivotal SEC East meeting with Missouri on Saturday.
The Bulldogs and Tigers kick off at 12 p.m. ET in a game can be seen on CBS and here on CBSSports.com.
