Texas Gov. Bill Clements, who two years...
Texas Gov. Bill Clements, who two years ago publicly apologized for his role in the pay-for-play scandal that cost Southern Methodist University its football program, signed a bill making it a crime to recruit student-athletes with money or gifts.
The legislation Clements signed into law makes giving improper payments to a student-athlete a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
A student who solicits or accepts money or gifts in exchange for attending a college and playing intercollegiate sports would face misdemeanor charges.
Six of the nine Southwest Conference universities have been the subject of NCAA sanctions in the 1980s.
Officials with the NCAA, which regulates college sports, have expressed reservations about the law, saying criminal penalties may make their job more difficult because they rely on voluntary testimony when investigating allegations of recruiting violations.
Clements is a former chairman of the SMU Board of Governors.
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