Auburn football: NCAA rebukes Danny Sheridan's claims of knowing a 'third-party bag man' who paid Cam Newton's family

AUBURN, Ala. -- The NCAA has heard enough from Danny Sheridan.

College football’s governing body, which usually refrains from commenting about ongoing investigations, saw fit to release a statement Friday regarding the oddsmaker’s claims of knowing of a “third-party bag man” who paid Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s family.

After speaking with Sheridan recently, it made an unusual move by publicly rebuking his claims.

“Danny Sheridan continues to make vague, unsubstantiated claims without backing them up with proof,” the release read. “Contrary to his claims of having an inside source with details on the Auburn investigation, the NCAA has not provided information to Sheridan or anyone else.”

Sheridan, a sports handicapper based out of Mobile, Ala., whose odds appear in USA Today, claimed he had sources within the NCAA who said they had found a witness who knew about a “bag man” who helped Auburn recruit Newton.

He spoke about his claims in recent weeks on Paul Finebaum’s radio show and, on Friday, ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”

When pressed to reveal a name, which he said he has, Sheridan refused, citing legal ramifications.

The NCAA found its talk with Sheridan this week unproductive.

“As a matter of due diligence, the NCAA spoke with Sheridan this week to determine if he had any facts pertaining to the investigation,” it said in the release. “Sheridan, however, did not provide any information to the enforcement staff and certainly did not provide a name. Instead, he unsuccessfully attempted to gather information for his own use.”