Former Arizona State football associate head coach Antonio Pierce....participated in a program wide effort to engage in impermissible recruiting activities during the COVID-19 dead period, according to a decision released by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. Due to his personal involvement in aspects of the violations — namely, providing recruiting inducements to prospects and their families — Pierce violated the principles of ethical conduct.
The majority of the violations in this case stemmed from a scheme in which Pierce, other members of the football staff and a booster arranged unofficial visits to the school for roughly one year during the COVID-19 dead period. During those visits, which occurred over 15 weekends, staff members had impermissible recruiting contacts — including tryouts, football facility tours and entertainment — with 35 prospects and their families. Pierce arranged for or personally provided free meals, apparel, airfare and/or lodging for 27 prospects, often in collaboration with the booster, who was the parent of a then-football student-athlete in the program. In addition to violating the dead period rules, the meals, entertainment — which included taking a prospect's parents to a gentlemen's club — and travel expenses associated with the unofficial visits also constituted impermissible recruiting inducements. As a result of the impermissible benefits received by the prospects, eight who eventually enrolled at Arizona State went on to compete in 19 contests while ineligible.
Several members of the coaching staff indicated during their interviews with enforcement staff that Pierce "ran the show" within the Arizona State football program, and they feared that not complying with Pierce's directives would result in losing their jobs.