NCAA prepares to allow student-athletes to be paid
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Louisville received a notice of accusations from the NCAA that said the men’s basketball program committed a Level I violation with an improper recruiting offer and extra benefits and several Level II violations that accuse former head coach Rick Pitino of failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
The notice, which was released on Monday, is the completion of a two-year NCAA investigation following a federal corruption inquiry into college basketball.
Louisville acknowledged its involvement in the investigation related to the recruitment of former player Brian Bowen II, which led to the dismissal of Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich in October 2017. The school noted those two personnel moves in a statement and it said via a teleconference that it takes the allegations seriously. The school has 90 days to respond.
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Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi said the school would accept responsibility for violations it committed and “will not hesitate to push back” against allegations it believes are not supported by facts.
“What we have done to be a model of compliance, to be a model of ethical conduct," Bendapudi said. "We truly believe we have gone above and beyond any other institution.”
The NCAA’s notice says the improper offer and subsequent extra benefits were provided by certain individuals, identified and defined by the NCAA as “representatives of the university’s athletics interests.”
The most serious violation alleged in the redacted document accuses Adidas employees James Gatto and Merl Code of offering $125,000 combined to the family of a recruit from May to September 2017. Then-Louisville assistant Jordan Fair is alleged to have provided between $11,800 and $13,500 in benefits to coach/trainer Brad Augustine, who was associated with another prospective recruit, while former associate head coach Kenny Johnson is alleged to have provided an extra benefit of $1,300.
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Pitino is claimed to have violated head coach responsibility by failing to conduct additional inquiries into Gatto's recruiting assistance and not reporting activities to the athletic department. The Hall of Fame coach was not named in the federal complaint and has consistently denied authorizing or having knowledge of a payment to a recruit's family.
Louisville is currently on NCAA probation for a 2015 sex scandal that resulted in penalties including the vacating of 123 victories and its 2013 NCAA championship. Though the latest notice of allegations could subject the school to additional discipline, the governing body did not accuse it of a lack of institutional control.
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However, Louisville isn't concerned about a so-called “death penalty” and the shutdown of the program.
“We don't foresee that," Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra said. "I think it's clear to the NCAA what we've done. I don't want to get too far down that path, but we've done all we can do here and made some pretty unparalleled corrections in our program."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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