Auburn's athletics director and the university president said Wednesday the school would work with the SEC and the NCAA by looking into claims that four former players received money from boosters while they attended the university. The head coach struck a stronger stance. Gene Chizik lashed out at an HBO Real Sports episode that aired Wednesday night that, Chizik said, presented a one-sided view of the story.

Watch the video, and hear the tone of Chizik's voice, as he defends his school, and in some detail, too. Also, here's Thursday's newspaper story on the subject, some of which was posted online Wednesday...

AUBURN -- Auburn coach Gene Chizik criticized an HBO show Wednesday night that featured four former Tigers players who said they were paid by university boosters.

Chizik said Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel interviewed former Auburn players who said there were no improper payments, but HBO chose not to air those players.

"I think it is pathetic and pure garbage," said Chizik, who disputed the charges of the former players.

"That's not who we are. That's not how our program is going to be run," he said.

Chizik was particularly disappointed HBO didn't show players who said they were not paid.

"It's very sad to me that HBO is going to air something that, admittedly, they have no proof on anything," Chizik said. "What is disturbing to me ... they interviewed other former players that said the opposite, and they didn't air (them).

"I have other former players calling me, who are still playing, that had no knowledge of any of that stuff."

Chizik, Auburn's head coach the last two years, was the team's defensive coordinator when some of the players said the improper payments were made.

"When I was the defensive coordinator from 2002-04, all the allegations that are there are on this particular show, I can assure you I had no knowledge of any of that stuff," Chizik said.

The SEC office announced earlier Wednesday that Auburn, LSU and the league have reported allegations of payments to the NCAA.

Auburn's athletic director and the university president said the school would cooperate with the NCAA.

The SEC said the league office, Auburn and LSU had "communicated with the NCAA enforcement staff" over the contents of the show.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said the school will look into the claims of the players.

"While HBO confirmed to us they have no proof that any of these claims are true, we contacted both the NCAA and Southeastern Conference as soon as these allegations surfaced. We have engaged outside counsel to investigate this matter and will spare no resources to find the truth," Jacobs said.

Auburn President Jay Gogue said his school will "play by the rules."

"Jay Jacobs and the athletics department are committed to that priority. They will investigate these allegations thoroughly and completely," Gogue said in a statement.

Former Auburn player Stanley McClover said he received money from Auburn and LSU boosters.

Of McClover's claim, Real Sports reporter Andrea Kremer said in the show "there is no documentation, receipts, letters, e-mails proving he got the money." Real Sports did not provide any proof about the claims of the three other Auburn players.

Although Real Sports said McClover alleged wrongdoing at LSU, Michigan State and Ohio State, Auburn was the featured school in the "Pay for Play" segment. The four former Auburn players were the only players interviewed for that portion of the show.

The other players also said they received money. Raven Gray arrived at Auburn but stayed only a year due to a knee injury. Chaz Ramsey played for a year, got hurt, and ultimately tried suing a former Auburn trainer and assistant coach before the case was thrown out. Troy Reddick applied for a graduate assistant's job at Auburn last year but didn't get it, and had his request for BCS Championship Game tickets denied by the university in January.

Kremer has described McClover as an unemployed, 26-year-old father whose NFL dreams have ended.

Former McClover teammates Ronnie Brown, Jeris McIntyre, Bret Eddins, Junior Rosegreen, Joe Cope, Tommy Jackson, Jeremy Ingle, Quentin Groves and Cole Bennett said they didn't get money and doubt McClover did.

Eddins said bigger stars at Auburn than McClover said they didn't get paid.

"You kind of look back and say, 'If these guys were being paid, why weren't these better players getting paid?'" Eddins said. "It's weird to see these guys come out during what looks like a tough spot in their lives saying this. It looks like folks having trouble not being in the limelight. I don't personally think there's any truth to it."

Various other former Auburn players took to the Internet and social networks to dispute the story of the players who claimed they received money. Some even conducted question-and-answer video chats for fans after the HBO telecast.

Others worked Twitter.

"About to watch this HBO Real Sports and see how bad these guys are lying about Auburn and how far they take it," tweeted former running back Ben Tate.

"You can't let four dudes, wait, one dude didn't even play. So three dudes. You can't let that spoil everybody," tweeted Travis Williams, a former Auburn player and former graduate assistant.

"I was recruited more heavily than any of those four and I didn't get a dime," tweeted former offensive lineman Lee Ziemba.

HBO failed to get a comment from Tommy Tuberville, who was the head coach when the four players were at Auburn. HBO also failed to get comments from other coaches, Kremer said.

"We reached out to a lot of different people -- to boosters, to coaches, to administrators, to a number of different players -- and what's interesting is that it's an all-cash business, and that gives a lot of plausible deniability, so it's difficult," she said.

McClover detailed how he allegedly received $500 from an unknown booster at LSU, sexual favors at Ohio State, money at Michigan State and more money at Auburn. He said he received $4,000 after recording four sacks against Alabama. His claim that he received money at LSU had another coach disputing the claim.

"I don't really know much about it, but I can promise you this: we've never, ever given a player anything," said Alabama coach Nick Saban, who was LSU's head coach when the Bengal Tigers recruited McClover.

Reddick said he received $500 in an envelope on several occasions. Ramsey said he received money from fans after games, and sold his Iron Bowl tickets for thousands of dollars. Gray said he received $2,500 to $3,000 to sign.

Kramer also said on the Dan Patrick radio show that Real Sports was close to adding the Cam Newton story to the episode.

"The day I was getting on the plane, they pulled the plug on it. HBO does not pay for interviews, and that was one of the issues that came up," Kremer said.

Kremer did not identify whom she planned to interview.

She said the pay-for-interview request came from "one of the people who would speak with us. That was 'an' issue, not the only issue," she said.

Tuscaloosa Bureau Sports Reporter Izzy Gould and Birmingham News writer Jon Solomon contributed to this story.

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Some detailed stories from Wednesday you may have read...or may have missed.

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say they'll work with NCAA over allegations.

**HBO

claims are true.

**Behind-the-scenes look

at

as told by reporter Andrea Kremer.