If Chuck Person was a rogue assistant coach out to make a quick buck off the pro potential of an Auburn basketball player or two, we're probably going to find out.

If Bruce Pearl was unaware of the alleged actions that led to Person being charged with six federal crimes in an FBI bribery and conspiracy case that rocked college basketball far beyond Auburn, we're probably going to know.

If Person was an outlier as Pearl and the rest of the program tried to play by the rules, we're probably going to learn that, too.

At least, that's what Auburn has to hope.

The university acknowledged Thursday, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from AL.com, that it's received the kind of document no program wants to find in its mailbox.

It's not a request for information from the NCAA enforcement staff. It's worse. It's a subpoena from a federal grand jury for the Southern District of New York.

Auburn didn't share the contents of the actual subpoena but did acknowledge "it is already known that at least one other institution received a subpoena." That school, Oklahoma State, also had an assistant coach arrested in the FBI probe, and OK State did release the contents of its three-page subpoena.

It stands to reason that Auburn's subpoena is similar in nature and scope. If so, whoa. This appears to be a deep dive into the program, not unlike an NCAA investigation, but with the added weight and menace of the federal government behind it.

You can stonewall the NCAA. Good luck trying that with the feds.

The Oklahoma State subpoena, as first reported by The Oklahoman, is dated Sept. 27, the day after a U.S. attorney outlined charges against 10 individuals, shocking the college basketball world. The subpoena requests "any and all documents and communications regarding actual or potential NCAA rules violations relating to the receipt of money, travel, in-kind benefits or services by players and coaches for the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team."

It sounds as if the feds are looking for potential extra benefits from boosters, shoe company reps, runners for agents and who knows who else, while players were being recruited and after they signed.

The Oklahoma State subpoena requests "all communications between any member of the coaching or athletic department staff of Oklahoma State University men's basketball team" and any parent of a current player, as well as with three figures connected to the FBI probe. One of those men: Martin Blazer, the disgraced financial adviser who was working as an informant when he allegedly bribed Person to steer Auburn players to his business.

It's likely the Auburn subpoena would ask for all communications between its staffers and the parents of current players; Blazer; and Rashan Michel, the alleged middleman who supposedly introduced Person and Blazer. Michel also was charged in the FBI investigation.

The Oklahoma State subpoena calls for "the production of specific documents ... for the time period January 1, 2014 to the present."

That's an incredible number of emails, phone calls, texts, etc. It also requests "any and all handwritten notes in possession of any employees, officers, principals or board members of Oklahoma State University."

Oh, and OK State's subpoena also demands that the school produce all those records by Oct. 17, which is next Tuesday, or appear before the grand jury on that date.

If the Auburn subpoena is anything like the Oklahoma State subpoena, the Tigers are facing an unprecedented probe of their basketball program that extends well beyond Person and his alleged activities. Auburn basketball hasn't been the subject of anything like this type of scrutiny since the 2004 NCAA case that put the program on probation for two years and cost head coach Cliff Ellis his job.

You can argue whether the federal government should be doing the work of the NCAA enforcement staff, but that cat left that bag the day the U.S. attorney outlined the charges against Person and nine other people.

What we suspected then has now been confirmed. Where Auburn, Oklahoma State and no doubt other programs are concerned, this investigation is far from over.

Where does it stop? What does it find? What will it mean for Pearl and Auburn basketball? Who knows, but the federal government has taken it up a notch. It looks like the cloud over the program that started with Person may not clear any time soon.