Ole Miss Football: Rebels Release Statement on Notice of Allegations

Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze during the second half in the 2016 Sugar Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze during the second half in the 2016 Sugar Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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For those wanting to continue badger Ole Miss football fans, today was either a great or terrible day.  The University released a statement  Thursday addressing the Notice of Allegations that the school received from the NCAA nearly 90 days ago.

If you want to continue claiming Ole Miss football is a cheating program, you may.  If you believe there isn’t anything of concern for Ole Miss football in the notice of allegations, today was a great day.  You can continue hurling insults with no facts to prove you wrong.  If you believe there is enough to cause serious concern for Ole Miss football, today was a terrible day.  You’ll have to continue making claims you can’t prove like you’re Steve Robertson.  Why exactly?

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The University released a statement that follows:

One of the other parties to the NCAA Notice of Allegations has requested and received a 30-day extension to respond to the notice. This extension is an often used tool available to all parties, and the Notice of Allegations itself has not changed in any way. Upon the completion of the 30-day extension period, the University will release our full Response to the Notice of Allegations.

There really isn’t much to take from this, which will disappoint many.  The Ole Miss football program, and those close it, have remained steady in their stance that they are ready to act and there isn’t anything major in the allegations.  Their statement basically says someone else asked for an extension and got it.

Who?  There’s plenty of other people could be involved.  The rumor mill has been circulating around former Texas and Ole Miss football DB coach Chris Vaughn.  He was released by Texas in February, shortly after the allegations.  Supposedly/allegedly he could be facing a show-cause penalty, which for coaches is akin to the “death penalty” for programs.  If this is true, it’s easy to understand why he’d be fighting for an extension.  There are other rumors out there, including those that involve former Ole Miss football head coach Houston Nutt and former Louisiana Lafayette Ole Miss football assistant David Saunders.

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The only difficult part to fathom if any of these rumors are true is that a coach could hold up an entire University and investigation.  Good gosh the NCAA needs help.