steve-spurrier-dabo-swinney.jpg
Getty Images

Steve Spurrier has been retired from coaching for a decade, but the former Florida and South Carolina coach hasn't lost his knack for speaking his mind. And when it comes to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's recent allegations of transfer portal tampering, Spurrier didn't hold back.

"I thought by now somebody would've told Dabo, 'Dabo, there ain't no rules anymore,'" Spurrier said Monday during a Zoom call with reporters ahead of his induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

Swinney's frustration this offseason stems from the case of Luke Ferrelli, a linebacker transfer from California. Swinney alleged in a Jan. 23 press conference that Ole Miss and new coach Pete Golding continued to contact Ferrelli after he had already signed with Clemson and enrolled in spring semester classes. Ferrelli ultimately flipped to Ole Miss, prompting Swinney to call the situation blatant tampering and hand evidence over to the ACC, which passed it along to the NCAA and SEC.

Under NCAA rules, contacting a player in Ferrelli's situation would typically be prohibited, with potential penalties ranging from fines to recruiting restrictions. But Spurrier, 80, expressed skepticism that those rules are being enforced in today's college football landscape.

"They're still on the books, I guess, where you can't do it after this date or that date," Spurrier said. "... But I don't know if they're ever going to enforce any rules now or not."

Instead of dwelling on potential violations, Spurrier framed the situation as a reality check for Swinney and any coach reluctant to embrace the modern era of college athletics, where NIL, rev-share money and the transfer portal have reshaped roster construction.

"Gosh, basketball they've got pros coming back to play in college there," Spurrier said, referencing Alabama's Charles Bediako, who returned to play after signing an NBA contract and spending time in the G League -- only to have a judge recently deny his motion to remain eligible for the rest of the season. 

"I think Dabo has learned now he's got to start paying his players just like everybody else is," Spurrier said. "Or you'll get left behind. You can complain, but I don't know how good it's going to do."

Spurrier's comments carry extra weight given his obvious history with Clemson. During his 11 seasons at South Carolina from 2005 to 2015, he went 6-4 against the Tigers, including a five-game winning streak against Swinney from 2009 to 2013. He finished his Gamecocks career with 86 wins, the most in program history, after previously winning a national championship and six SEC titles at Florida.