AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn almost lost Cam Newton's services twice last season while the NCAA determined his fate, but the university's repeated argument that its star quarterback knew nothing of his father's pay-for-play scheme involving Mississippi State boosters kept Newton and the Tigers on track to win the national championship.

Auburn had to fight to keep Newton on the roster before last season's game against Georgia, and again before the SEC Championship Game as the university and the NCAA argued over the definition of what constitutes a sports agent, according to documents released by the school on Friday, as well as interviews conducted earlier. Auburn released the documents between the university and the NCAA to comply with the Freedom of Information Act.

The NCAA issued a letter Oct. 11 that said it found no wrongdoing involving Auburn and Newton. Auburn also issued unrelated documents over an investigation of the school's Tiger Prowl bus tour last year, and found secondary violations that did not require penalty from the NCAA.

The NCAA initially said an arrangement between Cam Newton's father, Cecil Newton, and former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers in a pay-for-play scheme involving MSU made Newton ineligible. Auburn argued that the school had no such involvement with Cecil Newton or Kenny Rogers, and that Cam Newton knew nothing of the plan. The NCAA wrestled with whether to label Rogers an agent, and ultimately sided with Auburn and said he was not.

The disagreement between the NCAA and Auburn reached its climax on Nov. 30 when the NCAA's Academics Affairs and Membership Committee determined Rogers "acted as Newton's athletics agent" and ruled Cam Newton ineligible. Auburn immediately filed for reinstatement to a different committee and won its argument the next day.

The documents tell a story of an NCAA investigation that obtained bank records, tax returns and telephone records of the Newtons; and gathered a variety of bank, telephone and tax records from some Auburn and Mississippi State coaches, athletic administrators and trustees.

Some of the NCAA discoveries included more than 275 telephone calls involving Cecil Newton and Rogers during Mississippi State's recruitment. While Cecil Newton would later admit that he had asked Rogers to try to get money from Mississippi State boosters for his son's services, no money changed hands from either the boosters or Newton, and the NCAA concluded there was nothing to suggest Cecil Newton had tried to arrange a similar deal with Auburn. The NCAA determined that Rogers and Cecil Newton met with Mississippi State assistant coaches, but no one from Auburn.

Auburn learned of a potential problem over Newton's recruitment a month before the story made national headlines. A letter from the NCAA dated Oct. 4 asked for bank, email and telephone records from the Newtons, as well as emails and telephone records of three Auburn coaches.

Auburn sent a letter to the NCAA arguing Cam Newton's innocence.

"Despite numerous media reports suggesting Newton himself engaged in wrongdoing, the facts clearly demonstrate Newton has done nothing wrong," Auburn told the NCAA. "Auburn had no contact with Rogers during the recruitment of Newton. Auburn was in no way involved in offering or considering an offer of any recruitment inducement."

The NCAA wrapped up the majority of its investigation before Auburn beat Oregon for the BCS Championship on Jan. 10, but kept the case opened as it followed new leads. Separately, the NCAA also investigated Auburn's recruiting practices in Louisiana, Arkansas and the claims by four former players on HBO they received money while playing. The NCAA found no evidence of wrongdoing involving Auburn in any phase of the investigation, according to documents.

On Tiger Prowl, Auburn self-imposed off-site recruiting restrictions on assistant coaches Trooper Taylor and Tommy Thigpen. Both restrictions ended on Oct. 31, 2010.

(UPDATED 12:55 p.m. to correct the name of one of the coaches who received restrictions due to Tiger Prowl.)

