Steve Spurrier's warning for Dabo Swinney on tampering allegations: 'There ain't no rules'

Former South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier weighed in Feb. 9 on Clemson coach Dabo Swinney accusing Ole Miss and coach Pete Golding of tampering in their recruitment of linebacker Luke Ferrelli.

The Post and Courier’s Jon Blau posted audio on social media of a Zoom call with media about Spurrier’s upcoming induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

“I thought by now, somebody would’ve told Dabo, ‘Dabo, there ain’t no rules anymore,'” Spurrier said.

In a Jan. 23 press conference, Swinney levied allegations of tampering against the Rebels, claiming Golding reached out to Ferrelli after he’d already signed with the Tigers and enrolled in classes at Clemson.

If true, Swinney’s accusations could carry significant penalties for Ole Miss, including suspensions, fines and recruiting restrictions.

Spurrier noted that those recruiting methods have seemingly become the standard with how much NCAA rules have changed in recent years.

“They’re still on the books, I guess, back there (at Clemson) about you can’t do it after this date or that date,” Spurrier said. “… I don’t know if they’re going to ever enforce any rules now or not, but I think Dabo has learned now, he’s got to start paying his players just like everybody else is, or you’ll get left behind. … You can complain but I don’t know how good it’s going to do.”

Spurrier coached at South Carolina from 2005-15 and led the Gamecocks to an 86-49 record, the most wins for a football coach in program history. He helped South Carolina win the SEC East in 2010 and capture five bowl-game wins.

Spurrier retired in 2015, finishing his college head coaching career with a 228-89-2 record.

He also coached at Duke and Florida, leading the Gators to the 1996 national championship.

Spurrier will be among 10 people in the 2026 class, which will be inducted on May 18 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney advice from Steve Spurrier over tampering