Some disturbing news via ESPN:

Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden said on tape two years ago that boosters were funneling thousands of dollars to football players when he became coach in 1993, a time when the Tigers already were on NCAA probation.

"They were paying players cash, $12,000, $15,000 to sign," Bowden said on the recording. "All I was told to do was shake hands and say, 'Thank you. I appreciate how much you love Auburn."'

Bowden did not make clear whether he reported the payment scheme to the NCAA, but said on the tape: "When I came here, I put an end to it."

Bowden's comments were reported Sunday by the Opelika-Auburn News. A columnist taped the comments in a meeting about two years ago, and a copy of the tape was made available to the Associated Press.

Even though there is a four-year statute of limitations for NCAA violations, there is an exception if the infraction is considered "blatant". NCAA spokeswoman Kay Hawes wouldn't comment on the specifics of the allegations.

William Muse, who was president of Auburn during Bowden's term as coach, also said in newly released transcripts that he had heard rumors of a pay-for-play scheme but that it was never verified during the NCAA investigation. His comments were transcribed by Auburn history professor Wayne Flynt for a book and were made public recently by university archives.

Mitch Sneed, who became managing editor of the Opelika-Auburn News in February, said Tuesday he decided to publish Bowden's taped remarks after the recent release of the Flynt transcripts, which included Muse saying Bowden told him much the same things that were on the tape.

Muse also said he had heard there was "a network of alums who each had agreed to provide X number of dollars per year for a particular player and that there was a book that listed all of these individuals and the amounts that they paid."

"There was even a rumor that, at one time, (an assistant coach) was the keeper of the book," Muse said. "In fact, after he left Auburn, Terry even told me that. But that has never been verified. In the NCAA investigation, there didn't turn out to be any evidence of that."