SMU Boosters Hire Own Investigators

Southern Methodist University boosters, angry at what they consider selective enforcement by the NCAA, hired private investigators to gather information on possible recruiting violations by Texas and Texas A&M;, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday.

Sources told the newspaper that investigators were hired last November and December.

According to media reports, the investigation at Texas centers around claims that boosters bought football tickets at inflated prices from players. The A&M; investigation centers on allegations of illegal financial benefits received by quarterback Kevin Murray.

“The (private investigators) were told that SMU boosters are bad, but we want to get the NCAA going on Texas and A&M;,” a source told the newspaper. “The boosters said they could not understand why state schools seem to ‘slide through’ with the NCAA and discussed ‘selective enforcement.’ ”

The NCAA recently suspended the SMU football program for the 1987 season and limited its schedule to seven road games for the 1988 season because of rules violations that occurred while the school was on probation for previous violations.