Auburn coach mum on Newton report

All Auburn coach Gene Chizik would say yesterday about Cam Newton is that the star quarterback will start for the second-ranked Tigers against Georgia on Saturday after the latest round of accusations.

Chizik declined to answer questions about an ESPN report that Newton told a Mississippi State recruiter that his father wanted him to go to Auburn because "the money was too much."

Citing unidentified sources, ESPN reported late Tuesday that Newton and his father, Cecil, each had a phone conversation with a Mississippi State recruiter and acknowledged a pay-for-play arrangement. According to the report, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take "more than a scholarship" for his son to attend Mississippi State.

In a statement, Mississippi State's athletic department said yesterday that it first contacted the Southeastern Conference regarding "an issue relating to its recruitment of Cam Newton." The statement said the SEC asked for specific information including interviews with university staffers. Mississippi State didn't provide more information until July, citing "time-consuming eligibility issues" related to other sports.

The statement said Mississippi State has "cooperated fully" with NCAA investigators.

Newton's older brother, Cecil Jr., posted on Facebook that the accusations are false and "a tool for haters."

Despite the media frenzy around Newton, Chizik said focus hasn't been a problem for his team, this season or this week.

"We stay on the track that we've been on and don't deviate off that path," Chizik said. "It's been a great week of practice so far and I don't expect anything different."

* University of Texas regents gave their blessing to the school's pursuit of a so-called Longhorn network of cable TV sports programming.

Regents met behind closed doors with school president William Powers Jr. to discuss the plan. The regents' academic affairs committee then publicly voted to allow Powers to pursue and sign a contract.

ESPN has confirmed it is in talks with Texas to distribute the proposed network.

Texas is expected to model its network after the Big Ten Network.

* Tennessee freshman defensive end Jacques Smith has pleaded guilty to an assault charge filed after he punched and kicked a man at a Knoxville bar.

The charge will be removed from his record if he stays out of trouble for a year.