Big 12 and Pac 10

Representatives from the NCAA, the Pac-10 Conference and USC have arrived in San Diego to begin investigating whether NCAA rules were broken when Reggie Bush's parents lived in a house that was owned by an investor in a fledgling sports marketing agency.

San Diego sports agent David Caravantes was interviewed by the investigators yesterday but declined comment.

 
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Angie Cretors, the NCAA's assistant director for Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities, is joined in San Diego by Ron Barker, the Pac-10's associate commissioner for governance and enforcement. USC is represented in the joint inquiry by faculty athletics representative Noel Ragsdale, a law professor.
They're expected to attempt interviews with the main players in the case: Bush's parents, LaMar and Denise Griffin, plus representatives from the agency, New Era Sports and Entertainment.

But their investigative powers may be limited. Because they don't have subpoena power, they'll have to rely on the cooperation of witnesses in answering questions. They'll also have to hope the Griffins cooperate despite having little incentive to do so now that Bush, USC's Heisman Trophy-winning running back, has turned pro and exhausted his NCAA eligibility.

Barker and Cretors declined to comment on the case. But speaking in general terms, Barker said such investigations rely on “calling people and trying to see if they'll sit down with us.”

Added Barker: “If it involves a current student with eligibility left, there's that carrot to hang out (to provoke cooperation by threatening the loss of remaining eligibility). If they have nothing to do with the NCAA or Pac-10, there's not really much we can do. There's only so much we can do when we don't have such carrots to dangle. It's a matter of which people will cooperate.”

The main issue they're expected to explore is if Bush's parents received an impermissible benefit in their relationship with New Era investors.

One of the investors, Michael C. Michaels, said they lived in the three-bedroom house he owned for almost a year without paying any of the $54,000 owed in rent. New Era's attorney, Brian Watkins, also wrote in a letter to the Bush family attorney, David Cornwell, that the parents were given $100,000 in cash disbursements from investors, since late 2004.

New Era had sought to represent Bush in the NFL, and Watkins said the money was given to the parents as loans. But after Bush decided to hire a different sports marketing representative (Mike Ornstein) and agent (Joel Segal) earlier this year, the deal fell apart.

New Era's investors since have sought the return of money they said they gave to Bush's parents, as well as money they spent to start the business. Watkins said they are planning a $3.2 million fraud suit against Bush's parents.

It is a violation of NCAA rules for student-athletes or their relatives to receive extra benefits from prospective agents. If an athlete or his family committed such a violation, the athlete would be ruled ineligible, even if it's retroactive. USC could face sanctions, including possible forfeiture of games.

Watkins said the two sides – New Era investors and Bush's parents – had been negotiating for a settlement in recent months but so far have failed.

Meanwhile, Watkins adamantly denied recent claims he heard from the Bush side that this was an extortion attempt by the investors. The NFL is investigating such claims against Caravantes, which he also adamantly denies. Caravantes once was recruited by New Era to become its CEO but said he was never hired.

“Our story is unrefuted, and they've called us every name in the book but liars,” Watkins said.