A new twist has emerged in the Wakeyleaks investigation into Wake Forest’s revelation that one of their football radio announcers, former player and coach Tommy Elrod, was passing “confidential and proprietary game preparation” to opposing teams.
The Wake Forest investigation was initially launched by the school after their loss to Louisville in November. After the school concluded its investigation, one of the biggest remaining issues was determining which opposing schools received the information and whether or not the information was used.
University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich released a statement on Wednesday admitting that one of their assistant coaches had indeed received “a few plays,” but denied that their team used it to their advantage.
“Our offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway and Tommy Elrod have known each other since 2007. Lonnie received a call from Elrod during the week of the Wake Forest game, and some information was shared with him that week.
Among the communication were a few plays that were sent and then shared with our defensive staff. None of the special plays were run during the course of the game. Our defense regularly prepares for similar formations every week in their normal game plan.
Any other information that may have been discussed was nothing that our staff had not already seen while studying Wake Forest in their preparations for the game and the material was not given any further attention. I’m disappointed that this issue has brought undue attention to our football staff as we prepare for our upcoming bowl game.”
This statement seemingly contradicts statements previously made by Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino in the week immediately after their game against Wake Forest.
In an interview with ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike,” Petrino was asked if his team had Wake Forest’s game plan prior to the game.
"I can tell you that we didn't have it," Petrino said. "I like our team, and I'm down here (in Houston) preparing for this game, so I don't really understand what they're talking about. I heard about it right before we got on the plane to leave. But I can assure you that we prepare each week the way that you're supposed to prepare, and I like the fact that our team knows how to do that."
According to Dan Wolken of USA Today, Wake Forest football staff members found materials that showed Louisville was "prepared for plays the Demon Deacons had not run before."
In an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, Petrino was asked about the materials found.
"I have no knowledge of the situation," Petrino said. "We take a lot of pride in the way we operate our program. As I've stated already this season, my coaching philosophy has always been to play the game with sportsmanship."
When asked about the possible discrepancy in the statements, a spokesperson for the University of Louisville football team reiterated to Business Insider that "a few plays were shared with one of our assistant coaches."
While the spokesperson did not directly comment on what Petrino knew, it suggests that the school's stance is that both the offensive coordinator and the defensive staff discussed the information without ever bringing it to the attention of Petrino.
Of course, this is just one school and one game. According to Wake Forest's investigation, Elrod had "provided or attempted to provide" confidential information to opposing teams "starting in 2014."
Elrod was fired from his job as radio announcer and has been banned from Wake Forest athletics and its facilities.
The ACC has announced that they are now looking into the matter.
