COLUMBUS, Ohio � Ohio State spent more than $400,000 on PR advice and outside expertise dealing with NCAA investigations in the wake of its football program's memorabilia-for-cash scandal, according to records released Friday.
The $429,000 in expenses is just over half of the $800,000 the university's athletics department says it has spent on the scandal to date.
One set of records shows that Ohio State paid New York-based PR firm Kekst and Co. $267,000 for help with public relations between March and mid-July. The invoices, released as part of a public records request, don't give details of the work Kekst did.
"Given the nature of this issue, the university sought communications counsel to assist in its efforts to manage ongoing communications on this matter," said Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch.
Kekst declined to comment.
The university also paid The Compliance Group of Lenexa, Kansas $162,000 for help dealing with the compliance problems uncovered by the scandal.
The company, with extensive experience helping universities deal with NCAA compliance issues, billed Ohio State for travel expenses, meals, phone calls and professional services by company consultant Chuck Smrt; details of the professional services were redacted. A message was left for Smrt on Friday.
Ohio State has worked closely with the company since January because the university was facing a major infraction of NCAA rules, Lynch said.
The university announced in December that several football players had sold memorabilia such as jerseys and Big Ten championship rings for cash or traded them for discounted tattoos.
The scandal cost head coach Jim Tressel his job after the university learned he'd known about the trading for months but didn't notify the university or the NCAA as required in his contract.
It also led to quarterback Terrelle Pryor's departure and caused the university to vacate the entire 2010 season and return its $338,811 share of the Big Ten's payment for having played in the Sugar Bowl.
Four players still at Ohio State were suspended for the first five games this fall; a fifth player will sit out the season-opener.
___
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted
No comments:
Post a Comment