College Football Fans React To Coach Making Cheating Accusations
UConn football head coach Jim Mora called out other programs for tampering with his players.
The Huskies finished a 9-4 season with a 27-14 victory over North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl. UConn notched its first winning record since 2010 and first bowl win in 15 years.
Schools appeared to have noticed the independent program's success. On Monday, Mora accused teams of impermissibly contacting players not in the portal and threatened to take action.
"A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken NCAA Football rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours. We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable," Mora wrote on social media. "We are excited that we've built a program where coaches have to cheat to beat us and we will protect that program. Think hard before you tamper with our players."
Onlookers responded to Mora's fiery warning.
"Jim Mora is so right," Dick Vitale said, saying college sports needs a commissioner such as Nick Saban. "Glad to see him stand up for his program. So much dealing going on under the table to get players in the transfer portal!"
"This is not a troll but an honest question...but what even are those avenues?" Matt Brown of Extra Points asked. "There's no functional 'tampering police' to punish coaches who tamper."
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Coach Jim Mora Jr. looks on prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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"It's hard to take this seriously until coaches start naming names," The Oregonian's Nick Daschel said.
"The NCAA has no bite. In fact, the anti-tampering rules with no CBA in place is blatantly anti-competitive and artificially limiting the market value of free agent players," Benjamin Wetherby wrote. "The players have no obligation to the schools and vice versa until a CBA or similar is put in place."
Mora shared his warning on the same day that star edge rusher Pryce Yates entered the transfer portal. He went into the portal earlier this month but announced his intentions to stay at UConn on Dec. 21.
Tampering remains a poorly kept secret in the NIL era. Mora isn't the first coach to put competitors at blast without directly accusing anyone, and he'll probably be far from the last.
