Jarvis Jones' Eligibility Means Fate Will Just Have To Get Creative

Jarvis Jones Declared Eligible To Play, According To Report

Georgia Bulldogs LB Jarvis Jones "has been cleared by the NCAA and SEC and will be eligible to play" according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Towers. The Athens Banner-Herald's Marc Weiszer reports UGA has yet to confirm the report, but agrees with Towers that an official announcement later Tuesday is likely.

Jones' eligibility has been under investigation by the school since a report in the Leder-Enquirer revealed Jones and UGA basketball player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had received benefits while playing for a Columbus AAU basketball team in 2009, before either was a Georgia student-athlete. Jones was a USC Trojans commit during the time period in question.

Within a day after the report broke, UGA had contacted the SEC and NCAA while looking into the matter, turning over their findings on August 5. 

Jones is expected to compete for plenty of playing time and likely a starting spot.

Stay tuned for more on this story. For more Georgia sports, visit Dawg Sports, and for more college football visit SB Nation NCAA Football.

Jarvis Jones Investigation: UGA Hands Over Report To SEC

We still don't know whether or not Jarvis Jones will be able to line up at linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs this year, but the investigation is officially out of the University's hands. According to Seth Emerson of Macon.com, Georgia has submitted their findings, whatever they may be, to the SEC and now they await a decision. Georgia coach Mark Richt had a few comments, but he was pretty mum on the subject.

“The only thing I know is that we have submitted whatever we have found to the SEC offices, and we’re just kind of waiting,” head coach Mark Richt said. “That’s all I’m really allowed to say.”

You have to assume that he was pretty well coached himself in that response. The issue with Jones is that he might have received a plane ticket and/or a laptop from his AAU basketball coach. Richt also said that school is waiting to hear on freshman Kent Turene, who is still trying to clear the NCAA Clearinghouse.

UGA Hopes Jarvis Jones Investigation Ends Before August Practices

With preseason Georgia Bulldogs practices tentatively scheduled to begin August 2, Seth Emerson reports Mark Richt is hoping to have a little clarity on the status of LB Jarvis Jones by the end of this week. Athletic director Greg McGarity feels the internal investigation into possible favors granted Jones and basketball player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should wrap up soon, Marc Weiszer reports.

It's also worth noting that McGarity has termed the probe to be an "internal" matter, meaning the NCAA and SEC have not yet gotten involved. It would be for the best  if there's so little to see here that neither governing body felt the need to take a look.

A lot could depend on how Georgia handles whatever it does end up finding. The worst possible case would be playing Jones and then having him declared ineligible months later by the NCAA, which could cost wins or result in probation. As they did during the A.J. Green investigation, UGA has got to play it safe.

Stay tuned for more on this story. For more Georgia sports, visit Dawg Sports, and for more college football visit SB Nation NCAA Football.

Jarvis Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Still Eligible For Now

The Georgia Football team is proceeding as normal while an investigation into whether or not linebacker Jarvis Jones and basketball recruit Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received improper benefits from a Columbus based AAU team. Thus Jones has been taking his place as a starting outside linebacker as Georgia prepares for its season opener against Boise State on Sept 3. 

Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity confirmed that while the investigation is still ongoing, neither student athlete has been declared ineligible as of yet. 

"I would say that we're doing our due diligence internally to sort through everything," McGarity said. "At some point in time we'll have some sort of communication with the SEC and the NCAA on the entire situation. So much of this right now is verbal. We're obviously having conversations, but there's nothing to report right now."

It has become more common place for a school to declare a player ineligible and then immediately seek reinstatement from the NCAA. That scenario is still a possibility for both Jones and Caldwell-Pope as their respective seasons approach. 

Georgia held A.J. Green out of last season's opener after questions arose about his eligibility. Green ended up being suspended three more games but Georgia avoided having to forfeit any games by not playing him. 

UGA Contacts SEC, NCAA About Jarvis Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Georgia Bulldogs have notified both the SEC and NCAA about the allegations raised against incoming student-athletes Jarvis Jones and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. 

Certain illiterates have haw-hawed about Georgia waiting until the dirty secret was out to tell the authorities about the issue, but think about it. Jones was a USC Trojans commit in 2009. What incentive would Mark Richt have to investigate the AAU basketball comings and goings of a Southern Cal football player?

Likewise, UGA basketball coach Mark Fox says he had no idea about potentially shady-ish benefits reportedly accepted by Caldwell-Pope's family, but that he intends to cooperate throughout the investigation process. Obviously Fox should be sure to audit the cell phone bills of each recruit's entire immediate family, so as to avoid any more "thUGA!" situations such as this one.

Jarvis Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Allegations Subject Of UGA 'Due Diligence'

After the Ledger-Enquirer published a report that incoming football transfer Jarvis Jones and basketball signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may have their NCAA eligibility dinged due to Columbus' lack of a Ron Swanson, the University of Georgia has said it's looking into the matter.

Athletic association spokesman Claude Felton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Towers UGA will do its "due diligence."

The charge raised in Caldwell-Pope's case -- that AAU Georgia Blazers money was used to pay for part of his mother's $280 cell phone bill -- sounds insignificant compared to the $828 allegedly used to fly Jones back and forth across the country. Especially since there's no telling from the report just how much of that phone bill was paid for with city money.

But both pale in comparison to the case of Perry Jones III, who received benefits worth more than $4,000 from an AAU coach and will miss only six total basketball games, or about a fifth of a season.

Stay tuned for more on this story. For more Georgia sports, visit Dawg Sports.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's Potential Suspension Would Severely Impact UGA Basketball

Jarvis Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope NCAA Eligibility 'At Risk,' According To Report

It's been an oddly quiet spell without bad news for UGA fans, but here's a story that could hurt the school's two most prominent programs. According to the Ledger-Enquirer's Andy Bitter, incoming USC Trojans transfer LB Jarvis Jones and Greenville High five-star shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received unauthorized benefits from two men in charge of the AAU Georgia Blazers basketball team.

(Precedent for an AAU scandal affecting a collegiate athlete's playing status? As Bitter points out, there's Baylor Bears big Perry Jones III, who was declared ineligible after his mother received three loans from his AAU coach -- that she paid back and of which Jones himself had no knowledge. He ended up missing the team's Big 12 Tournament appearance and will have to sit for its first five games of next season.)

Columbus native Jones, who transferred to UGA after suffering a neck injury at Southern Cal and redshirted for the 2010 season, is said to have received airfare to and from Los Angeles on two separate occasions thanks to the Blazers' credit card. Losing him for even a game or two would sting, as he's projected to start against Boise State.

If Caldwell-Pope, rated one of the three best shooting guards in the nation, is docked playing time, it would reportedly be due to the Blazers paying for his mother's cell phone bill. 

Columbus Parks and Recreation director Tony Adams and lieutenant Herman Porter are the two accused of all this aiding and abetting, as the Blazers are run by the city.

Stay tuned for more on this story. For more Georgia sports, visit Dawg Sports.