As of right now, Gene Chizik’s Auburn Tigers are allegedly the 2010 national champions. But can Auburn coaches say they’re citizens of the very nation they won a championship in?

Auburn’s Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzhan was actually born Arthur Gustav Malzahn III, according to an outdated Wikipedia page. This raises questions as to why he goes by the less “ethnic” sounding name. It also brings his citizenship into question.

The internet is oddly missing ANY information on his birth certificate.



Gustav Malzahn is not the only person facing trouble once his citizenship troubles catch up to him. New Alabama law places employers of illegal immigrants in hot water. Auburn’s Jay Jacobs might not have a problem signing $180,000 checks to Cecil Newton, but will he be as willing to write the same check to a judge?




Facebook messages sent to Gus Malzahn’s grandmother were not returned. Apparently, being “All In” doesn’t automatically mean your grandmother is willing to defend you. If that’s not enough to convince you something’s rotten on the plains, look at this exclusive Sports By Brooks image of Bobby Lowder and Milton McGregor transposed over assembly instructions for a Pottery Barn desk.

Follow TheAuburner on Twitter for more about this and other stories.  

An anonymous source has provided Sports by Brooks with photographs of the Auburn football team meeting with an alleged associate of a known terrorist.



The “gifts” in question were an Auburn University football jersey and an Auburn University football helmet. Why would Kodi Burns just give away these items if he could sell them to somebody for money? It’s not adding up.

Sports by Brooks has carefully monitored the Facebook accounts of the daughters of all Auburn Athletic Department employees for months. At no time did any of them offer an explanation as to why items from a public university would be given away for allegedly nothing.



After the event, the associate was seen giving Auburn coach Trooper Taylor what can only be described as a Terrorist Chest Jab.

Follow TheAuburner on Twitter for more about this and other stories.  

(I’m basically plagiarizing this article)

In an effort to apparently thumb their noses at the NCAA and the general public, Auburn has been giving their football players unrestricted sideline access to football games – a benefit not allowed normal students. For the BCS National Championship game, many tickets for less desirable seats were sold for thousands of dollars while entitled football players were able to view the game from the sidelines. Though the school is far from alone in such an endeavor, this is just another example of how far schools will go to keep their athletes happy.

It goes without saying that a typical AU student won’t be able to access such plush tickets on The Plains unless he or she is part of, player or staff, the football program. But when you consider what the beneficiaries provide the school - financially and otherwise - I have no problem with what amounts to an extra benefit for an NCAA student-athlete.



The irony of such an arrangement though is unavoidable when considering the bedrock of the NCAA student-athlete eligibility rule.

Last year, in meting out the harshest punishment leveled upon a college football program since the SMU Death Penalty, the NCAA noted repeatedly (pdf) in its USC infractions report that the school’s football and basketball programs had allowed for the receipt of extra benefits by USC student-athletes that were unavailable to the institution’s typical students.
The actual NCAA Compliance extra benefits bylaw:

Definition: Extra Benefit (Bylaw 16.02.3) – An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletic interests (including fans) to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA legislation. Extra benefit regulations pertain to prospects as well.

Exception for Benefits Available to Other Students (Bylaw 16.01.3) – The receipt of a benefit by a student-athlete or his or her friends that is not authorized by NCAA legislation is not a violation if it is demonstrated that the same general benefit is available to the institution’s students, their relatives, and friends determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability

So probably the most important rule in the NCAA Compliance Handbook states that student-athletes are not allowed special treatment because of their athletic status.

At least, of course, until those athletes enroll at an NCAA member institution.

Follow TheAuburner on Twitter for more about this and other stories.