Las Vegas Auburn-Georgia Bets Halted After Newton Academic Cheating Report
Some Las Vegas sports books have stopped taking bets on this week’s football game between Auburn University and the University of Georgia amid uncertainty about the status of Tigers quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, wouldn’t comment yesterday on a Fox Sports report that he had three instances of academic cheating while at the University of Florida in 2007 and 2008. Later yesterday, ESPN reported that Newton and his father had separate phone conversations with a Mississippi State recruiter acknowledging his college choice would be part of a play-for-pay plan.
Jay Rood, sports book director at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas, said the the Nov. 13 Auburn-Georgia game was taken off the board when increased betting on the Bulldogs was spotted.
“We want to make sure the market value is right,” Rood said in a telephone interview. “We don’t want to be looking back on it Saturday as something that we were giving away like a blue-light special.”
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said today during a media conference call that Newton would play this week against Georgia. Newton has led Auburn to a No. 2 national ranking, having passed for 1,890 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. He’s also run for a team-leading 1,146 yards and 15 scores.
Jeff Sherman, the assistant general manager at the Las Vegas Hilton’s sports book, said they were “playing it safe” in suspending wagers on the Auburn-Georgia matchup. Auburn was favored to win by 8 1/2 to 9 points.
‘Wait and See’
“There was a lot that came out last night that didn’t sound good,” Sherman said in a telephone interview. “I’m sure the game will be back up by the weekend, but we’re taking a wait-and-see approach.”
Sherman said Newton’s absence might change the betting line by as much as six points.
Newton transferred to Auburn in January after winning a junior college championship at Blinn College in Texas.
While a backup at Florida to Tim Tebow, Newton cheated in a class as a freshman, Fox Sports said. The following year he turned in another student’s paper with his name on it and submitted a subsequent paper that was purchased off the Internet, according to the report.
Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs said yesterday that Newton remains eligible and called the allegations “unfortunate and sad.” Newton said yesterday he wouldn’t comment on “whether I did or did not do it, because I don’t want to beat a dead horse talking about it. It’s not going to affect me any way, shape or fashion.”
ESPN said last night that a Mississippi State recruiter said Newton’s father, Cecil, told the school that it would take more than a scholarship to bring his son there. When Newton committed to Auburn, he called another Mississippi State recruiter and said his father chose the school for him because “the money was too much,” ESPN said.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association -- the governing board of college athletics -- is investigating Newton’s recruiting.
After hosting Georgia this week, Auburn finishes its regular season on the road against the University of Alabama on Nov. 26.
To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net
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