LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville has officially received a Notice of Allegations letter from the NCAA. It now has 90 days to review and prepare a response to the NCAA.
The allegations are in regards to the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 Cardinals men’s basketball program. The issuance of the Notice comes after a nearly two-year long investigation by the NCAA enforcement staff into several college men’s basketball programs, all stemming from a Department of Justice investigation.
The allegations issued against the Louisville men’s basketball program include:
· A Level I allegation that an improper recruiting offer, and subsequent extra benefits to the family of an enrolled student athlete; and a recruiting inducement to a prospective student-athlete’s non-scholastic coach/trainer, were provided by certain individuals, purportedly identified and defined by the NCAA as “representatives of the university’s athletics interests”, none of whom had traditional connections to the University beyond their affiliation with Adidas or professional athlete management entities, as well as by a former assistant coach and a former associate head coach;
· A Level II allegation of recruiting violations by the same two former men’s basketball coaching staff members in providing impermissible transportation and having impermissible contact in the context of recruitment-related activities;
· A Level II allegation that the institution failed to adequately monitor the recruitment of an incoming, high-profile student-athlete;
· A Level II allegation that the former head men’s basketball coach did not satisfy his head coach responsibility when he failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance;
In its release the University of Louisville points out that these are allegations and not facts that they plan to fight. They also show how their program has changed ever since the hiring of Chris Mack as head basketball coach.
· The University changed its leadership on campus, in athletics and in the men’s basketball program, as part of a series of personnel, systematic and cultural changes.
· Athletics Compliance now reports outside of athletics directly to the Vice President for Risk Management, Audit and Compliance.
· All counsel for Athletics now reports directly through the office of the University’s General Counsel.
· The University completely revised the Head Coach contract language regarding NCAA compliance expectations, particularly as it relates to Head Coach responsibility.
· The Department of Athletics enhanced rules education and compliance monitoring for all staff.
· Compliance staff provided in-person rules education to the University Board of Trustees and to the ULAA Board.
· Compliance staff provided in-person rules education to the President’s Leadership Team and to other key University offices.
· The Department of Athletics began an ethical leadership series required for all athletics staff.
· The University placed a renewed emphasis on the faculty-led Committee on Academic Performance.
· The University remains committed to complete and transparent reform.
· None of the men’s basketball staff members involved in the allegations remain at the University.
· Neither of the involved men’s basketball prospects referenced in the allegations ever represented U of L in competition.
