Tampering has quickly become one of the biggest issues in college football this offseason.
During an appearance on the ACC Network’s Packer and Durham show Tuesday morning, Florida State football coach Mike Norvell says attempts at tampering with his players have occurred.
“We had conversations, there were a couple guys on our team that had people from the outside talking. They were not in the portal, but they’re trying to make decisions on certain things for their future,” Norvell said.
“That’s what’s unfortunate. But grateful for the guys we have and the team that we’re going to be able to move forward with. But for college athletics, we want to be together here moving forward.”
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This appearance on Packer and Durham occurred while Norvell and FSU director of athletics Michael Alford are in Amelia Island for the ACC’s spring meetings.
Tampering has been a major factor among ACC schools over the last few weeks.
Months after Pitt wide receiver Jordan Addison won the Biletnikoff Award with 1,479 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches, he entered the transfer portal on May 1. It so happens that May 1 was the final day he could enter before he would have been ineligible for this fall at a new school.
According to ESPN, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi attempted to call USC head coach Lincoln Riley a few times in the wake of him finding this out due to a belief that USC had tampered with Addison, reaching out to him when he was not in the portal .
Boston College standout wide receiver Zay Flowers told ESPN that he received multiple six-figure offers to transfer elsewhere from people loosely associated with other schools’ name, image and likeness collectives. I have turned down these offers and elected to stay with the Eagles.
The NCAA clarified Monday that NIL collectives are seen as boosters through the organization’s legislation and, as such, are also prohibited from contacting players or recruits in an attempt to provide compensation.
The NCAA also made it clear that this means the organization’s enforcement staff will begin investigating potential violations of the rules, including any that may have occurred during the first 10 months of the NIL era.
While the ability for athletes to benefit off their name, image and likeness has been long overdue and been used in quite a few good and charitable ways, Norvell agrees to some aspects of the rules must be modified.
“There are things going in college athletics that definitely have to be changed. It’s unfortunate when you hear and see and experience things of outside entities being involved in that part of this game,” Norvell said.
“Because that’s not college athletics. That’s not what it’s supposed to be. It’s unfortunate that some of these young men are being put in those situations to even have to be able to make those decisions.”
Reach Curt Weiler at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @CurtMWeiler
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU coach Mike Norvell says tampering attempts made for his players