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Florida Fan Bryan Allen Named as Gurley Snitch

Photo Credit: believekevin/Flickr

Someone in Athens paid suspended god-like tailback Todd Gurley $400 to sign 80 autographs last spring, then ratted him out to UGA’s compliance office, according to Sports Illustrated.

SI.com has learned that a person confirmed to Georgia’s compliance office this week that he paid Gurley $400 to sign 80 items on campus in Athens, Ga., one day this past spring. The person claimed to have a photo and video of Gurley signing the items, but neither the photo nor the video showed money changing hands. NCAA rules require schools to immediately declare a player ineligible if they discover a violation has been committed. Schools may then apply for the player’s reinstatement.

The website SBNation received a similar pitch back in September, probably from the same person, according to a story written, incidentally, by my former Daily Mississippian colleague Steven Godfrey. But they “let it drop, because the purpose of this website is not to enforce the NCAA’s insane bylaws. On the contrary, we’re all for players making money, and are thus editorially supportive of those bylaws’ erosion.”

Was this a setup? It seems strange that someone would profit off Gurley breaking NCAA rules, then turn him in for it. A Florida fan, perhaps?

UPDATE: Deadspin says the snitch is a memorabilia dealer who was mad that Gurley devalued his investment by signing autographs for other people.

This is the dumbest college football “scandal” of all time.

UPDATE 2: Multiple reports are naming Bryan Allen, the former owner of a Rome, GA memorabilia shop and, yes, apparently a Florida Gators fan, as the alleged third party at the center of #GurleyGate. SBNation has a roundup of what’s known about the guy so far.

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