So how much did convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro dole out in impermissible benefits to University of Miami athletes, recruits and coaches? About $170,000, says the NCAA.
It sure is easy spending money when it's not really your own, but it's notable that the approximate amount listed by the NCAA is just a small fraction of the "millions of dollars" Shapiro claimed he had doled out in the original Yahoo! Sports article.
According to the AP, the majority of that cash, about $90,000, was spent trying to convince two players, Vince Wilfork (now with the Patriots) and Antrel Role (now with the New York Giants) to sign with the sports agency Shapiro had connections to.
The AP's anonymous sources also says that Shapiro spent about $56,000 on "meals, entertainment, clothing, jewelry, travel, lodging and cash" for 72 players, three recruits, and 12 friends and family members of players and recruits.
Most of those players have long since left the program.
The NCAA also claims that Shapiro provided travel benefits and other supplemental compensation to three former assistant coaches.
Although $170,000 may seem like a lot of money, remember that while at USC Reggie Bush was alleged to have accepted $290,000 worth of impermissible gifts on his own. Though it is far more than the $16,400 in impermissible benefits involved in the recent Ohio State scandal.
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