Syracuse, N.Y. — A group of Syracuse-area football coaches and athletic directors has accused defending state champion Christian Brothers Academy's football program of violating recruiting rules.
Eleven coaches and one athletic director sent a letter on Jan. 25 to Section III, the governing body for local high school sports, alleging eight violations, according to emails obtained by syracuse.com. .
Section III Interim Director Tim Ryan told syracuse.com Wednesday that Section III is not investigating the allegations. Section III is not an investigative agency and will need more information before taking action, he said.
Even if nothing comes of the complaint, the letter highlights harsh feelings toward CBA Football from some of its peers, while CBA Football has built a strong presence with players from many competing school districts. It shows.
Among the accusations are that CBA coaches scouted Pop Warner games and practices, approached opposing players in the parking lot after junior varsity games, and invited promising players to open houses. This includes holding training sessions exclusively for employees.
It contains no explosive evidence. Most of the documents contained screenshots of social media posts and comments from CBA assistant coaches.
The coaches said the document proves the CBA violated New York State Public High School Association rules regarding “student recruitment and undue influence,” which means that “NYSPHSAA schools are not allowed to recruit students. defined as the exercise of influence by a person directly or indirectly connected to a These include transferring from one school to another or enrolling in ninth grade at a member school for athletic purposes. ”
Because CBA is a private school, it is not bound by school district boundaries like public schools. However, the school must follow NYSPHSAA rules like any other public school.
CBA has been a powerhouse in Section III for the past three years. Brothers won state championships in 2021 and 2023, but lost in the sectional title game in 2022. This year's team also included five players with Power Five scholarship offers. However, in 2018 and 2019, the team won just one game in each season.
On November 21, 2023, as the CBA prepared to play in the state semifinals, the same document was initially sent anonymously to Section III. Section III officials said they can't do anything because the allegations are anonymous. But authorities notified the NYSPHSAA.
NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas subsequently directed the CBA to conduct its own investigation, and Zayas said the CBA had found no wrongdoing, and Zayas told syracuse.com in January that its findings said he was satisfied with.
“We receive a lot of anonymous complaints throughout the school year. Unfortunately, that's not uncommon,” Zayas said. “Whenever I receive an anonymous allegation, it is my practice to notify the school of the allegation and to inform the school.
“So that is exactly what I have done in this case and I am confident that all regulations and eligibility criteria are complied with by the CBA…”
A group of 11 Section III coaches who have coached varsity teams for a combined tenure of more than 150 years subsequently released their names in the complaint so that they would no longer be anonymous.
On January 25, the complaint was sent to the Football Committee, which resolved to forward it to Ryan and Section III.
Some of the complaints include:
- Coaches attended Pop Warner and youth football games and practices and studied factors such as player size and speed. The coaches then contacted the parents of these players and invited them to an open house.
- After the game, a coach approached the junior varsity player and told him the CBA would “find a spot” for him and offer him a scholarship.
- The coach reached out to the prospect's family on social media or in person and invited them to an open house.
- Coaches held “private” or “invite-only” workouts where prospects trained with CBA coaches and current CBA players.
- Prospective students watched CBA football games even before enrolling.
- The open house mimicked a Division I recruiting visit, with prospects posing in CBA uniforms and helmets and photos with CBA cheerleaders.
According to Section 25 of the NYSPHSAA Handbook, “Evidence of undue influence includes transfers, gifts of money, jobs, supplies, clothing, free transportation, personal contact by coaches or sponsors attempting to persuade admission. These include, but are not limited to, contests, invitations to practices and games, and free and/or discounted tuition. ”
Penalties include forcing students to be “disqualified from the sport for one year from the date of enrollment.” School officials are also subject to suspension and probation by the department's athletic council. The game may be forfeited to the opposing school.
It is the responsibility of the Section III Executive Committee to determine whether the CBA has violated the undue influence rules.
In 2011, the Skaneateles football team was disciplined by Section III for violating recruiting rules, and more recently in 2023, Section II CBA Albany faced controversy after an assistant coach spoke with the parents of players from other schools. faced. In both cases, schools conducted their own surveys and self-reported the results to their departments. From there, each section made a ruling.
The Skaneateles' 2011 season was shortened, the undefeated team was eliminated from the Division III Class C playoffs, and coach Tim Green was suspended and later resigned. CBA Albany was sentenced to three years' probation and suspended from competitive activities for one week.
In the case of CBA Syracuse and Section III, the school conducted an independent investigation in November with guidance from the NYSPHSAA and “categorically denied” the allegations, Ryan said.
With CBA Athletic Director Buddy Leklinski President Matt Keogh did not return calls from syracuse.com. Section III Football Committee Chairman Bob Campace and Keith Kempney also did not respond to requests for comment.
Ryan sent an email to the football commission on Monday, March 4, saying the department would not take action because there was insufficient evidence. This is because CBA did not self-report the suspicions. Ryan said Section III is not an investigative agency and complainants must be fully vetted and provide evidence that stands up to scrutiny.
For example, the document states that players who have not yet registered with the CBA will be seen on the CBA sideline during games, but Ryan said there are no names, video clips or images to support that claim. Ta.
“I'm just looking for real evidence and then I'll bring it to the executive committee,” Ryan said.
Ryan added that he wants not only the coaches but also the district's highest leadership to request action against the CBA.
“The district should say, 'We feel that we have been disadvantaged or have suffered significant harm because of CBA's actions,'” Ryan said. “The district has to be able to say, 'We did an investigation and found this.' Someone has to do that. But right now, no one is willing to do that.
“If you're thinking about a school district, let's call it XYZ School District, if you file a complaint against the CBA, it will eventually be made public. So it's going to involve more than just the coach. Superintendent. I want to say, “Yes, we were concerned about this.” Because it ends up falling on his desk. You don't want that coming in through the coach and the superintendent saying, “Wait a minute, I didn't know about this.” ”
Ryan also said that while critics have the right to demand an investigation, CBA is also a member school and should be protected from unsubstantiated allegations.
“The CBA is a member school and we have to treat them equally like any other school,” Ryan said. “We can't simply assume they're doing something wrong.”
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