You'd have to go back to the 90's. I'd say Michigan, but I don't know for sure and I'd be homering. I think the one definite would be good ole Bobby Ross' Georgia Tech team and maybe McCartney's Colorado team. Before that, the 1984 BYU team.
I think SMU getting the death penalty in 1987 cleaned the sport up for a while. Things gradually got worse again, and that trend has only increased.
so I agree, it was probably the 90's. And was probably us.
'98 was Tennessee under Fulmer, and '99 was FSU under Bowden. I assume they were paying recruits, if not $50,000 - $100,000s like these days, then $5K-$15K here or there, funnelled through relatives or high school coaches.
FWIW I don't think McCartney was very "above board." Plus his team only won with a 5th down (right?) that if they hadn't gotten, would've objectively lost that game.
Mark Emmert is sleazy as fuck... since he took over in 2010, corruption is probably
the rule, and honesty and fair play are exceptions to the rule. Just look at the guy... something about him always struck me as being a little... off. too much plastic surgery? too much Make-up?
Another thing I've thought was sketchy was the Big Ten moving their offices to Rosemont, IL from Park Ridge, IL in 2012. For those that don't know... Park Ridge is a moderately wealthy NW Chicago-area suburb; it's nice, but not flashy.
Nearby Rosemont is all run-down apartment blocks, condos, convention centers, and mobbed up.
FWIW, apparently the move raised eyebrows, but the Big Ten & Rosemont's mob-connected mayor claimed it was just closer to O'Hare, which is kinda true, but Park Ridge is also very close to O'Hare. Getting land on a failed casino site is sketchy too...
