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Wake Forest University Coach Named By FBI in Bribery and Academic Fraud Scandal

So - “doesn’t matter, got paid”? Turn a blind eye as long as the check clears? You’re really going to die on that shill?

Oh boy, I didn’t realize you are one of the posters that thinks I have something to do with the athletic department. I should have replied to one of the other posts...

No, I was simply explaining how this works. Rich people can donate to athletic departments and universities for a variety of reasons, and do so all the time. The athletic departments and universities know who these people are, and understand why they’re donating.
 
Basically, it is pay to not play. Given the nepotism that is rampant in society, the student can parley the Wake degree into a nice career being employed through the rich parents' connections. It can't be that hard to graduate from Wake if the student takes the right courses.

The legal question here is whether the volleyball coach was acting as Wake's agent during these events. It could be argued either way, but I stress that the school clearly benefited from the alleged illegal transaction,
 
Oh boy, I didn’t realize you are one of the posters that thinks I have something to do with the athletic department. I should have replied to one of the other posts...

No, I was simply explaining how this works. Rich people can donate to athletic departments and universities for a variety of reasons, and do so all the time. The athletic departments and universities know who these people are, and understand why they’re donating.

Doesn’t have anything to do with the athletic department, yet defends them at all costs.

Seems like Wake is just as involved as the coach.
 
Claiming a kid who has a parent wealthy enough to throw $500k around to get them in to college “don’t know how regular people get into college” is a crazy thing to say. Literally thousands of kids with parents fitting that bill apply for college every year just like a normal kid from the sticks. 30-40 people caught up in this doesn’t change that.

I’m talking about the 30-40 people who got caught up in this. Why are you so offended?

Wow, what a crazy story. So many strange and interesting layers!

Only one person mentioned this, but this actually reflects well on the admissions department at Wake (and Stanford, Georgetown, etc). It basically shows that a large donation to the school is not going to get a student admitted. Instead, an elaborate scheme had to be set up to trick the admissions department into giving a student preference based on their perceived athletic abilities.

Each coach at a D1 school gets exceptions that they can take to the admissions department - some coaches/programs/schools get more than others. Becky from Full House apparently realized this as a way to trick admissions departments into giving students preference. The coach benefits both by getting cash directly (funneled through camp) and by getting cash directed to their program (through the Deacon Club).

No. It doesn’t say this at all. It just says the price is higher than $500K or so.

The FBI guy even specifically said this wasn’t about big donations to universities.
 
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Doesn’t have anything to do with the athletic department, yet defends them at all costs.

Seems like Wake is just as involved as the coach.

I don’t defend the AD at all costs. I think Manning should have been fired months ago and hope he’s fired tomorrow. I’m glad Wellman is gone, because I think he really hurt our ability to hire a good coach.

You need to read what was written, not what you think was written. C’mon, focus.
 
I don’t defend the AD at all costs. I think Manning should have been fired months ago and hope he’s fired tomorrow. I’m glad Wellman is gone, because I think he really hurt our ability to hire a good coach.

You need to read what was written, not what you think was written. C’mon, focus.

 
I don’t defend the AD at all costs. I think Manning should have been fired months ago and hope he’s fired tomorrow. I’m glad Wellman is gone, because I think he really hurt our ability to hire a good coach.

You need to read what was written, not what you think was written. C’mon, focus.

So you’re OK with the AD and Deacon Club knowingly turning a blind eye to a practice that led to dozens of FBI arrests?
 
So you’re OK with the AD and Deacon Club knowingly turning a blind eye to a practice that led to dozens of FBI arrests?

No, you’re not following. The schools had no idea the coaches were taking money to designate students as recruited athletes (or knowledge of the rest of the scheme). The FBI specially stated this.
 
When the investigators are done with this one, maybe they can figure out what department at Wake Rafi works in
 
No, you’re not following. The schools had no idea the coaches were taking money to designate students as recruited athletes (or knowledge of the rest of the scheme). The FBI specially stated this.

Even if that’s true and the $40K to the Deacon Club was above board and typical, can we trust that coaches are bringing in talented athletes over ones whose parents can write a check? Even such a legit practice gives new meaning to “country club sports.”
 
No, you’re not following. The schools had no idea the coaches were taking money to designate students as recruited athletes (or knowledge of the rest of the scheme). The FBI specially stated this.

They chose not to know. One of the girls passed herself off as an all academic HS tennis player. The highest level of competition she ever reached was U-12.

Any due diligence by anyone at the school would have caught that lie.

Wake was happy enough to get a $50k donation that they turned a blind eye to what the coach was doing.
 
Where did you see that about the “tennis player?”

Rafi, do you think the Deacon Club should return the donation or donate it elsewhere, like a non-Wake scholarship fund?
 
Wow, what a crazy story. So many strange and interesting layers!

Only one person mentioned this, but this actually reflects well on the admissions department at Wake (and Stanford, Georgetown, etc). It basically shows that a large donation to the school is not going to get a student admitted. Instead, an elaborate scheme had to be set up to trick the admissions department into giving a student preference based on their perceived athletic abilities.

Each coach at a D1 school gets exceptions that they can take to the admissions department - some coaches/programs/schools get more than others. Becky from Full House apparently realized this as a way to trick admissions departments into giving students preference. The coach benefits both by getting cash directly (funneled through camp) and by getting cash directed to their program (through the Deacon Club).

This is excellent spin. The AD PR department is improving.
 
Where did you see that about the “tennis player?”

Rafi, do you think the Deacon Club should return the donation or donate it elsewhere, like a non-Wake scholarship fund?

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Per Hatch:

Dear Wake Forest students, faculty and staff,

As has been widely reported, the Department of Justice has been conducting an extensive investigation into the influence of financial transactions and other activities to gain admission into top universities.
An indictment filed in a federal court in Boston accused one Wake Forest employee, volleyball coach Bill Ferguson, of accepting a payment to influence the admission of a prospective student who had been placed on the waitlist. The broader criminal investigation also alleges widespread cheating on admissions exams; however, these allegations do not pertain to Wake Forest.

The indictment does not allege misconduct by the University or any other employees. Wake Forest placed Ferguson on administrative leave this morning and named Randi Smart interim coach, effective immediately.
The alleged conduct is in direct conflict with the values and integrity of Wake Forest and its athletics program. The University’s outside counsel is conducting an internal review, and Wake Forest has and will continue to cooperate fully with federal authorities as the legal process unfolds.
 
A few thoughts -

1 - Colleges have been playing these types of games with money from well to do families for decades. Never mind those that donate buildings or make big donations. The idea that schools have "need blind" admissions is totally bunko. Say your kid is a marginal applicant - like bottom 25% - but you are going to pay full boat with no financial aid. Don't think the schools don't see this. They see it and think long and hard about admitting your kid precisely because it enables them to hand money to another applicant who might not come because of the debt load he or she would have to take on to come to school. The wide spread availability of student loans has been beyond abused by universities who have built out their little club med environs which now need to be cared and fed for. The above example is not a "per se" bribe, but it absolutely happens. I've had more than one senior administrator at two different private universities tell me this directly.

2 - How stupid do you have to be to pay a $200 or $300K bribe to send your kid to Wake. Just put that money in a trust fund and let the kid have it when she turns say 40. $300K at 7% a year compounded would be over $1M easily. Probably a better investment for her than paying someone off to send her to a college that likely is only marginally better than one she'd be certain to get into without any help. Yes, Wake is a great school. But there are plenty of really good schools out there.

3 - How awesome a day is this for the Wake admissions department? You are indirectly tied to an admissions scandal that involves Stanford, Yale and Georgetown. You can't buy that type of publicity.
 
Even if that’s true and the $40K to the Deacon Club was above board and typical, can we trust that coaches are bringing in talented athletes over ones whose parents can write a check? Even such a legit practice gives new meaning to “country club sports.”

You really think money doesn't matter. There's a kid from China who plays in the NAHL. He is a commit to the Arizona State hockey program (they are now D1). Playing in the NAHL is decent cotton. But there are loads of kids in that league who don't sniff a D1 schollie who are putting up way better numbers. Turns out his Dad is a multi-billionaire. None of this is shocking. The Volleyball coach doesn't give a rip. One marginal player isn't going to sink his program.
 
You really think money doesn't matter. There's a kid from China who plays in the NAHL. He is a commit to the Arizona State hockey program (they are now D1). Playing in the NAHL is decent cotton. But there are loads of kids in that league who don't sniff a D1 schollie who are putting up way better numbers. Turns out his Dad is a multi-billionaire. None of this is shocking. The Volleyball coach doesn't give a rip. One marginal player isn't going to sink his program.

I don’t understand your point. Obviously money matters. I’m saying merit should be more important than money. I thought that was a common belief.

Is there a statement from the Deacon Club explaining they took a $50K bribe?

I looked up Randi Smart’s bio. I wonder if she has any pull with her cousin...
 
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