Knoxville, TN (WVLT-TV), He's a National Championship coach, his team is ranked number one in the land and now he's out $30,000!
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has fined Florida head coach Urban Meyer $30,000 for violating the SEC's Code of Ethics, now dubbed the "Kiffin Rule."
The League has made it clear it will not stand for public criticism of officials. This is an unprecedented move and certainly a departure from days gone by. I spoke with former Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors and asked him about the penalty levied against Meyer. Coach Majors response; " well number one, I'm in no position to make an objective statement or critique about the Commissioners decision or about Urban Meyer's remarks because I would want to know more about it before I would make an objective, strong statement because I really have no reason too. But to my point, I guess is this, the commissioner did say he was going to fine people for making certain statements in the future. The statement you read to me sounded nothing really drastic but I don't make those decisions. And I'll say this, the money those head coaches are making now I might have had to bite my tongue to not said something pretty strong about some of the officiating calls I've seen made and missed on the TV this year in the conference. I don't think those officials are doing that intentionally of course. I would be way out of line to imply an lack of character, but there's some real bad judgment on some calls, I might have paid the $30,000 to make the statement. I want to make certain that I'm in no way being critical of the commissioner and no way being critical of Urban Meyer because I'm not in position to make an objective, straight-forward answer to that, but I think there have been some things that need to be straightened out about the officiating judgment that's been pretty bad at times at some of the SEC games I've seen. The SEC through the years has had some very good officiating overall. I thought we could hold our own when we were coaching there. Officiating was good and overall I thought it was by-far much better than it was bad many times over. " I'm not the commissioner I don't make those decisions. I'd say that if we had a code of ethics in the conference, which I'm sure that they do, or a rule has been made and somebody makes and breaks the rule, then I would certainly be inclined to punish them if I were the commissioner. You make rules to be condoned by the other athletic directors, and supported by them, rules are rules, plain and simple. Some rules there are no gray areas. Some other areas there are, but if there are no gray areas, then the commissioner has to make the decision he thinks upholds the strict of the rule."

Meyer apologized for the incident and says he'll pay the fine. It certainly is ironic that the Florida coach is the first one to break the so called Kiffin Rule!