Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is eligible to play in the SEC title game even though the NCAA says his father broke rules by shopping his son to another school. The NCAA released its finding in a statement on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)The NCAA on Wednesday ruled Auburn quarterback Cam Newton eligible to play Saturday.
Sure we didn’t know Newton was ineligible – a ruling Auburn issued Tuesday before asking the NCAA for his reinstatement.
There is a lot of of loose wording in the NCAA’s ruling that could leave the door open for future findings. That said, unless the NCAA finds something more – and let’s face it there have been a Payless shelf of shoes fall almost daily in this melodrama – Newton and Auburn appear to be in the clear. For now.
“Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. “From a student-athlete reinstatement perspective, Auburn University met its obligation. … Under this threshold, the student-athlete has not participated while ineligible.”
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