re: ESPN - Reports of Auburn bribing players

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Asked about the report in his annual Final Four press conference, Emmert said the allegations have to meet a larger burden of proof at the NCAA.

"First of all, I think it's very important to recognize in that case at Auburn, what there is is a newspaper story. That's it," Emmert said. "We haven't done anything with that case because we don't know anything about it."

Asked specifically if he was concerned that a "newspaper reporter" -- Roberts' article was on the website Roopstigo.com -- knew more than his enforcement staff, Emmert responded strongly.

"So you obviously believe that those allegations are true and you have evidence that they're true and you're saying, Okay, here's the facts, so why don't you throw the book at Auburn?" Emmert said. "We have a higher responsibility when we're saying somebody's committed some offense than reading a newspaper story. I mean, obviously when anything like that comes out, we conduct an investigation and look into it."

Emmert indicated that at this point, the NCAA had very little information on the allegations in Roberts' report, saying those allegations came from one player -- Mike McNeil -- who hadn't contacted the NCAA.

"First of all, let me be clear about what I said. We don't know anything about that situation, not about anything that's going on at Auburn University," Emmert said. "I've read the first report, the first news story. As I understand it, a former student-athlete made some comments to a reporter. You guys probably know the story better than me. Is that about accurate?"

Emmert, who has been under fire for the NCAA's problems investigating Miami, went further with his answer in a sometimes contentious press conference.

"That person didn't call us. He called a reporter," Emmert said. "Okay. I don't know how you would expect us to have known more about that case than whatever this young man said to a reporter. That's, again, hardly shocking."

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