During his tenure at ASU, Raiders' Antonio Pierce allegedly enticed potential recruits and their parents with incentives such as visits to a strip club and gun range, as reported by the NCAA.
Pierce, serving various positions such as assistant head coach and recruitment coordinator at ASU from 2017 to 2022, received penalties for an alleged year-long recruitment infraction banned scheme. As Pierce is currently coaching in the NFL, these penalties, which include an 8-year show-cause order and a one-season suspension if he returns to college, won't affect his time with the Raiders.
The news outlet CNN contacted Pierce, the Raiders, and ASU for comments.
According to an NCAA press release, Pearce "vehemently denied planning or organizing any segment of the visits, offering recruiting incentives, or being involved in the out-of-state contacts and evaluations."
The 67-page report from the NCAA provided numerous instances of the former Super Bowl champion intentionally and persistently committing prohibited recruiting violations.
Pearce, ASU football defensive analyst Anthony Garnett, further ASU-related staff, and then-booster Regina Jackson, mother of former ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who currently leads the Washington Commanders as QB, arranged unofficial visits within the NCAA's recruitment prohibition period in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report claimed.
CNN reached out to Garnett and Jackson for comments.
The NCAA claimed that Pierce "participated in an interview with enforcement staff and acknowledged certain facts relating to the unofficial visits," but refused cooperation during the investigation and denied organizing the unofficial visits, both within and outside of Arizona, with potential new players.
The report accused Pierce of being the mastermind behind the scheme, who pressured his staff to offer unauthorized gifts such as free travel, accommodation, meals, and entertainment expenses to 35 prospects and their families on approximately 20 occasions.
The report stated, "In his words, [Pierce] ‘knew about the rules, tried to keep up with the Jones[es]’ and ‘broke the rules to do it.’ As the ‘quarterback’ of the scheme, Pierce pressured younger and/or less experienced staff members to engage in violations."
"Multiple staff members reported that they feared losing their jobs if they did not comply with Pierce’s instructions to bring prospects to campus during the dead period. Pierce’s conduct not only disregarded NCAA bylaws, but also showed complete disregard for the wellbeing of the staff members reporting to him," the NCAA infractions decision report mentioned.
The report mentioned instances where Pierce allegedly met with recruits and families at an off-campus house and arranged a visit to a shooting range and a local “gentlemen’s club.”
The NCAA report stated that 8 prospects who participated in unauthorized visits ultimately attended the university and played in 19 football games while ineligible.
Pierce and the Raiders will face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday.
Despite the banned scheme and penalties, Pierce's passion for sports continues to drive him as he currently coaches football in the NFL.In the midst of the investigation, Pierce was accused of pressuring his staff to provide unauthorized gifts and benefits to potential recruits, demonstrating his disregard for the NCAA's rules.
