Fox Sports
The University of Miami’s turnover chain has been one of the most exciting things to happen in college football this year but it turns out the man who created the chain, jeweler, A.J. Machado has a sketchy history with the NCAA.
Today, the News & Observer published a report that reveals Machado is currently barred from interacting with University of North Carolina players after one player was declared ineligible after getting involved with jeweler back in 2010.
Via News Observer
South Florida jeweler named Anthony John Machado, was banned from interacting with North Carolina athletes at the start of the NCAA’s investigation into the UNC football program in 2010.
UNC on Oct. 25, 2010, sent a letter of disassociation to Machado addressed to his store, A.J.’s Jewelry, in Cutler Bay, Fla. In the letter, Dick Baddour, who was the UNC athletic director at the time, wrote that Machado’s “involvement with one of our student-athletes has led to the NCAA declaring one of student-athletes permanently ineligible.”
After the story broke this afternoon, Hurricanes athletic director Blake James issued a statement defending Miami’s connection with Machado.
Via The Sun Sentinel
“A member of our staff purchased the Turnover Chain from a local jeweler. We are aware that that jeweler, Anthony Machado, was previously involved in a matter at another institution more than seven years ago,” James’ statement read. “However, we have no reason to believe that there is — or has been — any inappropriate conduct regarding Mr. Machado and the University of Miami.”
At this point there’s nothing that says Machado has done anything to break any NCAA violation during his interactions with Miami but it’s certainly not a good look for a school that’s had it’s problems with recruiting violations.