USAToday: NC State Bans Booster Eric Leak

(CJ Leslie , pictured above, was given over $400 from former Wolfpacker and current booster, Eric Leak. Leak is now banned from stepping foot on NC State’s campus) 

USA Today ran this article last night about NC State banning the booster (Eric Leak) who gave money to both CJ Leslie and Tracy Smith.

According to the article Leak (a former NC State wide receiver) was given notice (in 2011) that he was to stay away from NC State after they found out about the benefits he was handing out to Leslie (and previously Smith). Leslie was suspended a few games and it seemed like it was over with. Then Leak was caught again, this time after contacting Wolfpack football standout David Amerson in 2012. That’s when NC State send him a cease and desist letter, banning them from the University and saying this:

“N.C. State will not tolerate aberrant conduct from an agent, runner or financial adviser. Furthermore, N.C. State will seek to take all actions necessary to protect its interests and to preserve the eligibility of its student-athletes.”

That should have been the end of it, but it wasn’t. Yesterday news broke about Eric Leak’s wife, Emily, had her car ticketed while on NC State campus. This put up another red flag that maybe the Leak’s aren’t complying to the University’s request. Here is what NC State sent to the Leak’s after the most recent episode:

Dear Mr Leak

This letter and the attached notice is a trespass warning from NCSU Campus Police Department. We have been recently made aware of a disassociation letter issued to Mr Leak by the NCSU Athletic Department on November 23, 2011. The Transportation Department at NCSU has a record of one or more of your vehicles being on campus and receiving parking citations for violations in areas are Athletic Facilities as recently as May 2013. In addition, a background check of Mr Leak has revealed a current Order of Arrest out of Union County from 2003. Due to these situations and your non-affiliation with the university, you are hereby trespassed from ALL OWNED OR LEASED NCSU PROPERTY and not allowed to be on such property. This order is in effect as of this date and will be in effect immediately.

If you feel this action has been unfairly taken upon you there are instructions on the reverse side to appeal the trespass warning. If you wish to appeal, follow those instructions to the letter, but do not return to campus until you are instructed that you are allowed to do so or you will be arrested for trespassing.

OUR TAKE: So what does this all mean? And why the heck is PI posting this? It makes NC State look bad!

We’re posting this because, in our opinion, this makes NC State look good. With all the news about boosters and agents handing out money and universities getting caught with their pants down, NC State is making news by cracking down on these people. No one can stop individuals from contacting players but if players know that it’s illegal and the university is getting aggressive in trying to stop this, then the Wolfpack is doing their job. Now, to be clear, this news doesn’t incriminate Leak or prove he’s doing anything wrong. His wife may have been on campus for any number of reasons, however it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Ever since Debbie Yow got here the University has been on lock down from agents. Even former players who are now agents have had their season tickets removed and haven’t been allowed to get tickets left for them by friends in the University. I, for one, am impressed with the lengths that Yow and the administration have gone to make sure that the Wolfpack doesn’t end up like a certain lawless institution down the road.