OA NEWS with NCAA Comments

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http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satellite?pag...d=1149189168943

Former AU standout Travis Williams said the attraction to sociology and criminology has nothing to do with preferential treatment, it’s the curriculum itself.

"Everybody at Auburn takes independent study classes," he said. "Everybody: Regular students, student-athletes, whatever. It’s just a non-issue, man."

For now, the athletic department is remaining silent on the matter. Senior Associate Athletic Director Mark Richard, who’s the athletic department administrator in charge of compliance, said they will let the investigation run its course.

"The university is investigating it. We’re laying back and saying nothing," Richard said. "We’re going to let them do their investigation, and when they’re finished we’re gonna see what it produces."

Is it wrong to give students special consideration in making these directed-reading classes available? According to NCAA guidelines, it is if they are offered only to athletes. In Auburn’s case, 72 percent of the students being allowed to take these classes in sociology were not members of the football team. Actually, chowderheads, 93% were not footballers....

The NCAA wouldn’t address this situation or even comment of these type classes.

"This is an institutional matter," NCAA Director of Public and Media Relations Erik Christianson said. "We don’t comment on specific academic issues. I’m not going to speak in general terms, because there is a specific situation, and the information could be applied to that specific situation. So we have no comment on the situation. That situation is unique."