Paul Finebaum Reveals Why College Football Tampering Rules Won't Work

ESPN announcer Paul Finebaum before the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The SEC Spring meetings wrapped up this past week. This was a time when the leaders of the conference could get together and discuss some of the most important topics, from College Football Playoff expansion to tampering to NIL and the transfer portal.

This is also a chance for these leaders to speak with the media about changes they'd like to see implemented. One of those was the University of Georgia, President Jere Morehead. He spoke with ESPN's Paul Finebaum on "The Paul Finebaum Show" about how there hasn't been much progress so far in fixing the tampering issues.

SEC Leaders Still Searching For Answers

“You and I had the same conversation a year ago," Morehead said. "What have we accomplished in the last year? Nothing. Absolutely no progress. I’d say we’re in a worse position now than we were a year ago. And that’s concerning to me.”

Morehead said the SEC should start by enforcing the agreement that they all signed. He said they keep waiting for a participation document to be signed by all the schools. He said they signed it a year ago, but nothing came of it. They still have to get the other conferences on board.

He then said that they need to agree on a set of principles around tampering. He feels there needs to be a real cap, and that it should be tied to the notion that they're actually going to do what the House settlement said they would.

Georgia University president Jere Morehead celebrates with quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) and head coach Kirby Smart. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Doesn't See Real Change Coming

The SEC Network analyst, in a later episode of his show, said he liked what Morehead said, but as long as certain coaches in the SEC are breaking the rules, it will never get implemented.

"I thought Morehead on Tuesday was very compelling," Finebaum said. "Let me give the backstory. on Jere Morehead. He's been in academia for 30 years. He started his career as a federal prosecutor and an assistant US attorney.

"He's got an incredible mind, and the only thing I'll say is as much as I was cheering along with him, as you were, what he's suggesting, I don't think is realistic in a league that has Lane Kiffin in it and Pete Golding and all these other guys who have no regard for the rules at all."

Finebaum is right. Tampering is a major issue in college sports. It needs to be fixed. But there are so many people in the sport, and it's likely been this way for a long time, who have been bending the rules or even flat-out breaking them to get a competitive advantage.

If the programs know about it, they are unlikely to sign such an agreement that could hamper their program, even if it's better for the sport.

It's unclear if Kiffin or Golding is part of this group. Golding was accused of tampering by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.

He didn't necessarily deny it either. But regardless, this is a very real thing that happens because coaches or recruiting staff members will speak to the player's agent, instead of the player directly, to get around these rules.

Ultimately, the sport needs a governing body that will actually enforce the rules legally to fix a lot of college football's problems. Until they have that, it will remain the Wild Wild West.