The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "player recruitment" ...
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Unfair Game
Texas high school athletics rules prohibit students from transferring from district to district for athletic purposes, but that hasn’t stopped coaches and administrators from openly flouting the rules to assemble state championship-caliber teams as part of an underground recruiting system that puts athletics over academics. WFAA investigative reporter Brett Shipp's reports showed how improper recruiting helped Dallas' Kimball Knights build back-to-back state champ basketball teams, and how former Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders' new school, Prime Prep Academy, also drew in blue-chip players against the rules.
Tags: High school athletics; sports; coach; recruiting system; state champion team
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The High Price of Recruiting
This investigation revealed that Indiana University and Purdue University together spent more than $600.000 on procurement of football players in 2003-04. One recruit for IU was flown in a University-owned private jet--a flight that cost the school $11,656. No such incentives were made available to academic recruits.
Tags: college; sport; athlete; university; recruiting; football; Indiana University; Purdue University
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Money Players
This story deals with NFL players paying a hefty price for allowing people to manage their money. U.S. News examined more than 20 investment deals involving current and former NFL players and found many victims. In exclusive interviews with the magazine, the players described how they were allegedly defrauded. An example includes Buffalo Bills cornerback Antoine Winfield, who was bilked of $1.35 million by a close friend and financial adviser. Other examples illuminate the sometimes tawdry world of player recruitment.
Tags: investment adviser; Tampa Bay Buccaneers; NFL players; Securities and Exchange Commission; investment deals; defraud; Buffalo Bills; Donald Lukens; player recruitment; FBI; money laundering; National Football League Players Association; Cincinnati Bengals; Los Angeles Rams; Carolina Panthers; St. Louis Rams; Baltimore Ravens; San Diego Chargers; Global Sports and Entertainment; Denver Broncos; National Association of Securities Dealers
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The Foreign Game
The Dayton Daily News investigates the growing number of foreign athletes at high schools in and around Dayton. The investigation reveals that "a sophisticated and often secret network of sports agents, coaches and middlemen are flooding American high schools and colleges with foreign athletes. The network, frequently using deception to conceal violations of high-school and college athletic regulations, is driven by schools hungry for championships, by foreign athletes desperate to live in America, and by sports agents poised to make millions should a single grateful player become a star."
Tags: sports; foreign students; athletes; crime; regulations; NCAA; high schools; education; immigration; recruiting; violations; coach; high school athletics; collegic athletics; visas; exchange programs; immigration; agents; extended elligibility
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Sweat Shopping
Dohrmann takes a look inside the world of college sponsored summer football camps, a tradition that started with Joe Paterno's Northwestern Pennsylvania Football Camp in 1961. Designed for players ages eight to 18, most camps stretch the summer months, focusing on speed and skill training for up-and-coming football players. While most coaches deny that the camps are designed to evaluate and recruit certain players coming out of high school, most camps are scheduled to maximize attendance by top prospects. At some camps, once players arrive they are separated into skill groups, with the top prospects being measured and videotaped. Dohrmann also finds that many high school recruiters tell prospects that camp attendance is key to landing a scholarship. NCAA football guidelines state that schools "cannot use camps to evaluate or recruit players under consideration for scholarships," yet very few schools have been found guilty of violating the rules.
Tags: Sports; college athletics; college football; NCAA
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Badgers shoe discounts may violate NCAA rules
"The University of Wisconsin suspended 26 football players -- nearly a quarter of the nation's fourth-ranked team -- for one to three games on Thursday for accepting hundreds of dollars in unadvertised show discounts in violation of NCAA rules." Other athletes, including swimmers, rowers,soccer players, hockey players, runners golfers, and basketball players, rode the pine, too, and were order to pay back the discount difference to a charity. NCAA bylaws, Rule 16.01.2 states "Exception for Benefits Available to Other Students: The receipt of a benefit by a student athlete of his or her relatives or friends that is not authorized by NCAA legislation is not a violation if it is demonstrated that same benefit generally is available to the institutions students of the student body determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.
Tags: athletics; university; discounts; National Collegiate Athletic Association; penalties; intent; recruits; community service; Shoe Box; school spirit; Badgers
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High School Basketball Investigation
The Long Beach Press-Telegram investigates Artesia High School's nationally recognized basketball program. A large number of the players on Artesia's men basketball team live outside of the school's district, or are from foreign countries like the Dominican Republic or Iceland. An investigation by the Press-Telegram revealed the Artesia's head coach, Wayne Merino, had violated numerous California prep sports rules while building his championship teams, including using undue influence to recruit players and recruiting ineligible players . The newspaper discovered that "two of the team's players had submitted foreign student applications with false information on them, that one of the team's stars, a junior at the school, was actually in his 10th semester of high school and that the team's coaches had used undue influence in recruiting the players."
Tags: Artesia High School; Long Beach; California; Wayne Merino; basketball; sports; winning; students; players; athletes; recruiting; Dominican Republic; Iceland; Adidas
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DreamTeam
The Miami New Times reports on dynastic state champion Miami Senior High School boys basketball team that maintains its dominance by violating state rules that forbid recruiting. Alumni, coaches and school officials improperly provided housing or phony addresses so that star player could transfer into the basketball program.
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Degrees of Neglect
The Bridgewater Courier-News investigates the eight year tenure of Rutgers men's basketball coach Bob Wenzel, who produced only seven college graduates among the players he recruited. Some were failing out and many were just playing basketball, using up their eligibility and leaving school with nothing to show for a full four-year scholarship. (Aug. 25 - 26, 1996)
Tags: Carty Stapleton Degrees of Neglect Contest entry University Higher education FOIA 22 pgs.
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No title (id: 13439)
The Beaumont Enterprise investigates the allegations of Lamar University basketball player, Emma Clements, in regards to false and illegal inducements offered to her during the college basketball recruiting season. Clements alleges she was shown pictures that were not of the Lamar University and led to believe she would be provided with a car and a house if she played for the Lady Cardinals. Clements also complained of sexual advances by coaches and unwillingness on the part of other coaches to address any of her complaints. (Feb. 9-10, Apr. 12, May 2, 10, 14, 1996)
Tags: McBride Wright Lady cardinal inquiry College NCAA Pillai McKey 10 pgs.