Is this legal?

by Wells on Mar 20, 2006 11:44 AM CST

Ok, I was reading this story, http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2376091
and i came across this:

Allen said he was prepared to sign a national letter-of-intent with Houston. His benefactor, Ken Bennett, the founder of a group called Streets Ministries that reaches out to help kids from the toughest neighborhoods in South Memphis, put in a call to Calipari.
Next thing he knew, Allen had an invitation to join the team as a walk-on. The school could not pay his way or let him practice because he was an academic nonqualifier, so Streets Ministries paid his tuition. Bennett was in the stands in Dallas cheering on Andre.
"They do a lot for me," Allen said of Streets Ministries. "They helped me in high school, helped me in middle school. If it wasn't for Streets, I probably wouldn't be at Memphis."

What if I started my own "Streets Ministries" at UT and paid for scholarships for players that Texas wanted and guaranteed a walk on place for by the coach, but didn't have the scholarships to take. Would that be ok?

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Nebraska

Not sure what the legal loop holes are for Street Ministries, but the Cornhuskers had a deal where kids from all accross the state could walk-on at Nebraska and have their tuition paid by the country they were from. And a lot of those kids were pretty good and had offers from other schools. In a way, Nebraska had a lot more than 85 scholarship players. Not sure if they still do that now but the Street Ministries is kind of the same thing.

by 54b on Mar 20, 2006 1:04 PM CST reply actions

Nebraska

every student that is from Nebraska that can get in gets free tuition, I think.
But this is a private org, if this was legal, it seems there would be booster groups sponsoring kids to get more than 85 scholarships.

by Wells on Mar 20, 2006 1:25 PM CST reply actions

Nebraska

Not 100% sure, but I think as long as the organization is not affiliated with the university or have any ties to alumni or boosters, it's fine. There are plenty of athletes who are walk-ons that have their tuition paid for by pro sports teams (like Ricky Williams at Texas). That's all legal and good. Now if I started an organization and was paying for athletes to "walk on" at Texas, it would be illegal because I'm an alum.

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 20, 2006 2:02 PM CST reply actions

Not exactly the same

Pro sports teams don't contact the coach to insure a spot on the team before giving the contract, and the player doesn't have to use the money to go to college.

by Wells on Mar 20, 2006 2:46 PM CST up reply actions

true

But like I said, as long as it's not an alum or booster, there is anything illegal, even if this Street Ministries guy is a fan of Memphis. Also, it's a non-profit organization that was put together to help kids, so I'm not sure how the NCAA is going to see the harm here. I'd be willing to bet that if Memphis had said no, they'd have moved on to another school, then another until they landed a spot on a roster. I really don't see anything wrong with this. It's a group that tries to help kids get off the street and get an education. Helping this kid get a degree from Memphis is a nice thing. I doubt he's that great or he would have already had plenty of offers to go to school for free

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 20, 2006 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

Oh, and

Houston doesn't count as a free education. C'mon, if that's the best he could do, he apparently wasn't very good.

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 20, 2006 3:07 PM CST up reply actions

The heart strings argument

The did not have to move on to another school, as he had a scolorship offer from Houston.

I don't know a thing about this org other than what is in that article, so I can not say if it is legit.

What I was asking is that if orgs like this can exist, why is this not happening everywhere to add a couple of deserving underprivlidged kids to Team's rosters.

by Wells on Mar 20, 2006 3:25 PM CST up reply actions

It's happening at Texas

How else do you explain JD Lewis and Connor Atchley?

Oh wait you don't mean physically underprivileged but financially underprivileged?

Never mind.

by billb on Mar 20, 2006 4:04 PM CST up reply actions

dunno

i think lots of organizations like this exist to help inner city kids. most probably don't have the money to pay for this kind of thing all of the time. I also just think this is a special case. I mean, why would this kind of thing happen all the time? Teams aren't exactly clamoring for walk-on caliber players. Maybe he just really wanted to go to Memphis, and the organization had the money and the pull to make it happen.

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 21, 2006 12:01 PM CST up reply actions

He is not walk on caliber

he was offered scolorships to D1 schools.
Are you telling me that if you could have 4 or five more guys on the bench who are D1 caliber but not top tier you would not want them?

by Wells on Mar 21, 2006 12:08 PM CST up reply actions

I agree with Wells

this is pretty damn suspicious and could be a huge loop hole. if this is as legal as every post on here is making it out to be, then why is this not happening on the Texas basketball team? we sure as hell need more depth.

Crystal Balls

by MMHorns on Mar 21, 2006 12:55 PM CST reply actions

ok

Well, the kid had an offer from Houston. HOUSTON. Real powerhouse there. He also had an offer to go to Memphis, the school he wanted to go to since he was a kid, for free. Which would you take? This benefactor guy is apparently a big shot and has pull in Memphis, plus the money to fund the kid's education. As long as he is not affiliated with the university there is nothing illegal here. How is this suspicious? And if it is so shady, why are no reporters asking questions? Is it too much to think that maybe someone just wanted to do something nice for the kid, and he turned out to be a decent player?

Seriously, you guys are reading way too much into this.

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 21, 2006 2:00 PM CST reply actions

You are not getting the point

The original post's question was why this not is rampantly happening around the country, not attacking this, as far as I know, genuinely good benefactor.
This kid was named the #1 recruit in the country when he was in 8th grade by some services, but he never grew after that and was passed up by better teams because of his height, at 5'8". But he was still a great HS player and if he had been 4" taller he would be getting scholarship offers from all over the country.
He is the reason that Memphis is playing so well right now, not just warming the bench.
He not only got an offer to go to Memphis for free, but a guarantee from the coach that he could play, just not as a Scholarship athlete, after the benefactor talked to the coach and told him he would pay his way.

by Wells on Mar 21, 2006 4:28 PM CST up reply actions

Huh?

Then what is the point, Wells? My point is, this is a non-issue and probably never should have been questioned as illegal. Why is it not happening around the country? Because this was a one-off kind of deal that just happened to result in an overlooked player making waves in the tournament. If some enterprising alums decided to use this as a "loop hole" then it would cease to be as such. It would then become illegal due to interference by people tied to the university. Your original post asked just such a "what if." --- "What if I started my own "Streets Ministries" at UT and paid for scholarships for players that Texas wanted and guaranteed a walk on place for by the coach, but didn't have the scholarships to take. Would that be ok?" --- see, that wouldn't be ok, because you are an alum. Non-issue all the way

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 21, 2006 6:23 PM CST up reply actions

I am not an alum

and have never given a dollar to UT in my life.

Looks like Wells' Street Ministries are coming to Austin.

by Wells on Mar 22, 2006 7:39 AM CST up reply actions

well

best of luck taking care of those athletic inner-city youth. i look forward to a deep bench over the next few seasons.

by Eric @ Burnt Orange Nation on Mar 23, 2006 2:07 PM CST up reply actions

Not an Alum either

I have posed this question along similar lines before. B/c I am not an alum, does that mean I can do whatever I want regarding UT athletics?

Make it the Person Holt Ministries - spreading the good word of UT athletics. First up - free Hut's for all UT basketball players.

Crystal Balls

by MMHorns on Mar 22, 2006 11:51 AM CST reply actions

I think they are just trying to get some NBA $$$

They do have a tie to Calipari b/c he runs a basketball camp for them. Do you think the Ministries are looking at this as an opportunity to try to get a lot of money back from this kid if he ends up going pro. I mean seriously, how many kids can they afford to send to college. i would guess, about one carefully selected youth to Memphis every 10 years.

Wells and Holt, I think you should get on the ball. Take care of those inner city kids that deserve to walk on - like Brees

by jimmer on Mar 23, 2006 3:08 PM CST reply actions