Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says he’s still waiting on the NCAA to act on his tampering complaint against Ole Miss, and he’s not getting much in the way of updates.
At ACC Kickoff in Charlotte on July 16, Swinney made it clear he has already done his part.
"No, no. They don't owe me an update.
I don't have an update," Swinney said July 16 at ACC Kickoff. "Did my part.
The NCAA, ask them for an update. No idea."
The claim centers on linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who Swinney said was contacted by Ole Miss while Ferrelli was in Clemson’s program. Swinney accused Ole Miss and coach Pete Golding on Jan. 23 of tampering with the transfer linebacker.
Ferrelli’s path moved quickly. Clemson landed the Cal linebacker and ACC defensive rookie of the year on Jan. 7, he re-entered the portal on Jan. 16, and he transferred to Ole Miss on Jan. 22.
Swinney said Golding was reaching out to Ferrelli even after he had transferred to Clemson, enrolled in classes and taken part in team workouts. According to Swinney, Golding texted Ferrelli while he was in class with the message, "I know you're signed.
What's the buyout?" alongside a photo of a $1 million contract.
Clemson and Swinney sent the evidence to the NCAA and are still waiting for a ruling.
Swinney also said the sport needs real punishment for tampering, pointing to financial penalties, suspensions or even firings, the way other leagues handle violations. In his view, consequences would make a difference.
"It's rampant because there hasn't been consequences, and I don't know there's been much fear of consequences," Swinney said. "We gotta get some order."
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips backed Clemson’s complaint, saying NCAA president Charlie Baker and his staff "promised" him the case against Ole Miss would "be dealt with."
"There has to be consequences, and until there's consequences, then we'll get similar behavior," Phillips said July 15 at ACC Kickoff.
Golding, meanwhile, hasn’t sounded rattled by the NCAA’s review of the situation. He addressed the issue May 27 at the SEC spring meetings and pushed back on the attention the matter has drawn.
"I think a lot of things make headlines," Golding said May 27 at the SEC spring meetings. "There's a lot more people involved that everybody might not know. I'm not gonna sit up here and say whatever we did or we didn't do, was it right or was it wrong?
"But, you know, when you go through what we went through (with tampering), and what you're seeing day-in and day-out, some things you feel like shouldn't matter that, you know, they're making a big deal about."
USA TODAY Sports reported that Golding told the NCAA he will "expose rampant tampering in the sport" if he is sanctioned. Golding declined to comment when asked whether he threatened the NCAA.
He also argued tampering is not unique to college football.
"It's a problem in every sport," Golding said. "They're talking about tampering, you don't think coaches get tampered with?
You don't think athletic directors meet with head coaches? I mean, we're talking about this new (Lane) Kiffin (tampering) rule."
Tampering, under NCAA rules, means teams contacting players who belong to other programs. NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.4 says institutions and their representatives cannot communicate or make contact with a student-athlete at another Division I school, or someone associated with that athlete, unless they first go through the notification of transfer process. The rule also lays out separate contact requirements for Division II, Division III and NAIA athletes.
In Other News...
ACC Coach Sends Dabo Message Clemson Fans Should Not Ignore
At ACC Kickoff media days, Virginia Tech coach James Franklin took a moment to tip his cap to Dabo Swinney, calling attention to a friendship that has stretched beyond the sideline and into years of family connections and Nike trips. Franklin made it clear he understands the business side of college football, but he also acknowledged the respect he has for what Swinney has built at Clemson, a program that has stayed in the leagues championship conversation for years.
That kind of public praise matters because the two programs are set to meet on Oct. 24 in a game with real ACC implications. Clemson will have plenty of reasons to listen closely when a conference rival speaks that highly of Swinney, especially with the possibility that this matchup could help shape the road to the ACC Championship. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Sounds Fired Up About Clemsons New Weight Room Era
Clemson has entered a new phase in the weight room this summer, and Dabo Swinney sounds energized by the change. The Tigers are working through a demanding offseason under a fresh strength and conditioning voice, and Swinney has made it clear the intensity level has been noticeable, with players handling the grind well as they push through the program.
One of the early examples Swinney pointed to was Chris Johnson Jr., whose physical progress has stood out during the summer work. The bigger picture for Clemson is the same one that always matters in the offseason: building a tougher, more complete roster before camp opens, and the early signs from the weight room suggest the Tigers like where things are headed. [Read more 🡒]