Associated Press
The college football notebook …
RALEIGH ó Investigators have issued a search warrant for the financial records of NFL agent Gary Wichard as they continue looking into whether North Carolinaís sports agent laws have been broken.
The search warrant was issued Tuesday to Bank of America for documents connected to Wichard and his California-based firm, Pro Tect Management LLC, since January 2009.
Investigators say that Pro Tect paid $1,000 to reimburse a high school assistant coach, who had paid for former Tar Heels defensive lineman Marvin Austinís flights to and from California in March 2009, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with the search warrant.
In addition, Pro Tect paid $915.40 to a travel agency to cover changes to Austinís flight itinerary, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also alleges Wichard failed to register with the state as a sports agent despite having ěseveral phone conversationsî with Austin starting in January 2009.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshallís office launched an investigation after the NCAA began looking into possible agent-related benefits in North Carolinaís football program.
ěItís fair to say this is a definitely a step forward in the investigation,î Marshall spokesman George Jeter said Wednesday.
In December, investigators interviewed Todd Amis ó who coached Austin in high schooló and he told them that Wichard called to thank him for sending Austin to California. Amis said Wichard told him he would reimburse him for the flight cost. In January, Amis gave investigators a canceled check dated March 3, 2009, for $1,000 from Pro Tect and signed by Wichard.
The travel agency, Altour International Inc., has also provided investigators with a copy of a check dated March 12, 2009, for $915.40 from Pro Tect that paid for Austinís flight changes.
Amis also told investigators he paid $1,436.40 for Austin to visit Balmer again in California in July 2009, though there is no mention in the affidavit of whether Wichard reimbursed Amis for that trip.
UCONN BOWL LOSS
STORRS, Conn. ó The University of Connecticut says it lost more than $1.6 million as a result of its football team’s trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
In a report filed this week with the NCAA, the school says it had total expenses of $4,280,998 at the Fiesta Bowl, and received $2,523,200 from the Big East, which splits the revenue from bowl berths among its member institutions.
UConn spokesman Mike Enright says the actual loss, when all expenses and revenues are accounted for was $1,663,560.
The biggest loss came from the sale of game tickets. The school was required to purchase $3,349,835 worth of tickets but had just $676,248 in ticket sales.
The school spent $1,146,136 on transportation, meals and lodging for the football team, band, cheerleaders and other university officials.
JONES SURGERY
Former Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones will have a pin inserted to repair a stress fracture in his foot on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.
Agent Jimmy Sexton said Wednesday that the injury was discovered two days before the likely first-round draft pick’s scheduled workout at the NFL combine.
Jones not only participated but ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds and turned in a combine-best 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. He wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, according to Sexton.
Sexton said recovery should take 6 to 8 weeks.