In an age where Deloitte and its NIL Go app has suddenly become the most powerful entity in college football, a reminder has emerged that the old levers of power still exist.
Wisconsin has been hit with a 1-year probation and a $25,000 fine after it discovered nine current and former staff members made impermissible recruiting calls in 2023.
According to the Associated Press, former defensive line coach Greg Scruggs (now with the 49ers) and former player personnel director Max Steinecker (now at USC) have received 1-year show-causes, and head coach Luke Fickell and outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Matt Mitchell are prohibited from communicating with recruits from June 15-21.
The violations were discovered by Wisconsin's compliance system and self-reported. The Badgers were found to have dialed 139 impermissible phone calls to a total of 48 recruits. The school said its coaches and staff members were unfamiliar with its compliance processes and the NCAA rules around phone calls.
"Wisconsin Athletics is deeply committed to maintaining the highest level of integrity and holding ourselves accountable," the school said. "We believe in doing things the right way, no matter the consequences. The issue at hand occurred two years ago under a rule that was actively being changed and no longer exists. We identified the mistake and were proactive in self-reporting and investigating and resolving the issue."