re: Auburn's recruiting ban that wasn't could further complicate the programs standing w/ NCAA

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However, can you get in trouble for not adhering to a self imposed ban that hasn't been submitted to the NCAA? Couldn't Auburn simply say...we didn't self impose anything.

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The NCAA is not a court of law. Their sanctions are based upon the opinions of the infractions committee within general guidelines. If the committee finds that a Level I violation has occurred (clearly it did with Person's conviction), then the severity of the punishment depends upon how well AU can show mitigating factors. They might include a general culture of compliance, sincere efforts to stop the behavior once it was discovered, self imposed sanctions, etc. You are trying to show remorse, good behavior, and corrective actions in such a way as to convince the committee that harsh punishment isn't necessary.

If you impose your own internal sanctions and then can't adhere to them or impose sanctions in a way that makes it very easy to skirt them or reduce the meaningfulness of the sanction, then you are showing the infractions committee the exact opposite of a culture of compliance. A self imposed recruiting ban that has so many loopholes as to allow multiple instances of major recruiting activities is about as laughable to the committee as a self imposed bowl ban that has an exception for if the team is chosen for the playoffs. It shows a general lack of compliance sincerity that can only be corrected with harsh punishment.