University Of Michigan, NCAA Are Taking Rodriguez Allegations Seriously

Being an outspoken critic of Rich Rodriguez, as I am coming to find, is not a very desirable position. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

I'm glad to see the University of Michigan has the same mindset.

The school could have taken a number of routes after practice-gate, as it is now referred to, exploded into the sports world.

The athletic department could have ignored it completely and waited for possible NCAA involvement. They could have done an internal investigation, or they could have cleaned house.

Of course, Michigan knew they would have a large contingent of critics if they went in-house with this, so they did the same thing they did during the infamous basketball scandal of the '90s.

They hired an outside firm.

It wasn't just any firm either. Michigan hired Lightfoot, Franklin, and White. What is significant about this, is that Gene Marsh is employed by the Birmingham, Alabama law firm.

Gene Marsh served nine years on the NCAA's infractions committee before joining the firm of Lightfoot, Franklin, and White in 2008. There may be no better person to hire for such an investigation in all the land, save for the NCAA investigating themselves.

This speaks volumes to how seriously the University of Michigan is taking the allegations against Rich Rodriguez. 

If there is something to be found, Gene Marsh will find it. Count on it.

Michigan is leaving nothing to error, and no room for doubt. Bill Martin and Rich Rodriguez maintain innocence and they want to assure their vindication. Either that or assure damnation.

Still, even with Michigan's tenacity towards uncovering the truth, the NCAA has now decided to get involved with the investigations. The NCAA will work alongside Gene Marsh in the full investigation of the football program.

One way or another, justice will prevail through these investigations. Someone is guilty here. Someone is lying.

Rich Rodriguez could be lying. This is what I am inclined to believe. I have since, backed off my stance to immediately fire the man, pending the results of this investigation, but I still believe he probably violated NCAA rules, whether knowingly or not.

It could very well be that Rodriguez genuinely believes he did nothing wrong, but nonetheless, if the allegations are true, he will be at fault.

It's been a bad week for the Michigan head coach and it keeps getting worse. Annarbor.com recently reported that one of Rich Rodrigez's partners in a Virginia condeminium project, was a banned Clemson booster who is now facing five felony charges.

If the investigation finds Rodriguez at fault, he will lose his job, plain and simple.

Bill Martin's fate should be linked with Rodriguez. Rodriguez's hiring was a hasty move by Martin after the Les Miles negotiations fell through. It is widely speculated that Martin wasn't able to go through the entire process of hiring a coach, as he would have liked to. For that reason, Rodriguez's fate, should be Martin's fate.

If Rodriguez is found at fault, Martin should respectfully resign as athletic director. 

Michael Rosenberg and Mark Snyder could be lying as well. They are the Detroit Free Press journalists behind this story. They say they have solid verifiable statements that NCAA rules were violated at the University of Michigan.

Given Rosenberg's reputation as a respectable journalist, I am inclined to believe that he did not fabricate this story.

Rosenberg and Snyder's careers are on the line here. If the story was fabricated, they could be looking at charges of defamation and libel in a civil court room, and they know it.

This is precisely why I don't believe they are fabricating this.

Finally, the student-athletes that came forward could be lying. This is the most interesting possibility.

There are possible motives for why the students would lie, such as being upset with a 3-9 season and not wanting to play for Rodriguez for another season. Others have pointed out that the players could simply be lazy and didn't want to put in the extra work, so they fabricated a story to get out of it.

If the students lied, they not only would have got their school and their coach in trouble, they will likely get Michael Rosenberg and Mark Snyder fired or sued. There are serious implications here.

The students themselves could likely be tried on slander charges as well.

So, someone is probably going down here. It is the NCAA and Gene Marsh's jobs to figure out who. It's not a very desirable position, but someone's gotta do it.