Bobby Lowder May Be the Next Logan Young: Auburn's Trustee Being Probed by Feds

Love him or hate him, Bobby Lowder, for better or worse, wields more power than virtually any other major college trustee in America. For decades, he has basically run Auburn University the way he wanted.

Now, as Lowder's Colonial Bank collapsed last year, Lowder's power may be waning. While he still is arguably Auburn's most most powerful trustee, that may be a distinction that will only last a short while longer now, too.

Logan Young infamously became the first college athletics booster to be convicted in federal court of buying athletes. That happened in Memphis and involved his buying of his hometown players for Alabama, Auburn's archrival.

Ironically, Lowder, who is now under federal investigation along with his associate, Milton McGregor, who was recently arrested for allegedly buying influence to further his gambling businesses, might become the next booster to be ensnared by the feds for buying players, this time for Auburn. The NCAA and the FBI appear to be working in tandem in their investigations of Lowder and Auburn.

It turns out that McGregor was also a partner with another Alabama gambling magnate, Paul Bryant, Jr., son of the late great Bear Bryant, in casinos and dog tracks, some of which have now been closed. Bryant is arguably Bama's most powerful trustee. Young bought players for Bryant's Dad and other Bama coaches for decades.

Former Auburn Head Football Coach Terry Bowden revealed a slush fund that was used to buy players at Auburn that was set up by Lowder and his associates, who served with him on both the Auburn Board of Trustees and the Colonial Bank Board of Directors. Some are tying the alleged buying of Cam Newton by Auburn to that fund.

Lowder lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the collapse of his bank. He could very well lose his seat on Auburn's board and his freedom, too, if the FBI determines fraud was committed at the bank, as has been alleged.

Could the combined NCAA and FBI investigations bring down both the Auburn and Alabama athletic programs? The ties that both have to gambling, to vote-buying, and to corruption in general, are similar. Certainly McGregor might be the kingpin that would bring down both Lowder and Bryant.

There have been allegations that players, families of players, coaches, and others who were associated with Auburn and Alabama, were paid off through gambling profits at the casinos. Where these investigations will lead are anyone's guess at this point.

However, one thing appears clear: There is a lot of corruption in Alabama politics. It extends to gambling, to athletics at both of the state's major universities, and to those associated with them.