NC State 'Strenuously Disputes' NCAA's Level I Allegation in Response

On Monday, NC State submitted its response to the Notice of Allegations received from the NCAA, calling the Level I allegation "based on a lack of evidence."

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On Monday, NC State submitted its 66-page response to the Notice of Allegations received from the NCAA on July 9, calling the NCAA's Level I allegation "based on a lack of evidence."

The school "strenuously disputes" and is contesting the NCAA's most serious Level I allegation, citing a lack of documentation for a recruiting violation "combined with the improper use of information from a criminal trial," the school said in a statement to Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde.

The university accepts that a number of Level II or Level III violations related to complimentary admissions to basketball games occurred. It adds that it has self-imposed financial, scholarship and recruiting penalties as a result of the Level II and Level III penalty guidelines.

"When this process started, we promised accountability where appropriate and vigorous defense where necessary, and our response does exactly that," NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said in statement to SI. "We look forward to a thorough and accurate review by the panel of the committee on infractions and a fair resolution of this case for the university and the NCAA.”

Former head coach Mark Gottfried has also responded to the NCAA's Level I allegation. arguing that the NCAA prejudged the case, making decisions to impose consequences before finishing its investigation, and has "refused to give Gottfried fundamental procedural fairness."

Back in July, the school received a Notice of Allegations for violations related to the recruitment of former point guard Dennis Smith Jr.

The NCAA had alleged two Level I violations and two Level II violations against the school. Both of the Level I violations are connected to the recruitment of Smith and tied to former assistant coach Orlando Early and Gottfried.

Gottfried was connected to the criminal case in the federal investigation into college basketball corruption on March 8. In a disclosure from federal prosecutors, Early's attorney said his client disclosed that Gottfried gave him envelopes containing what Early believed to be $40,000 for Smith, now with the Knicks, on two occasions to deliver to Smith's trainer, Shawn Farmer, in exchange for his commitment to the Wolfpack in 2015. Farmer was reportedly supposed to deliver the envelopes to Smith's father.

Documents also indicated that Smith received $73,500 in loans prior to college from ASM Sports, the agency run by Andy Miller, where aspiring agent Christian Dawkins worked. Dawkins was sentenced to nine months in federal prison as a result of the trial.

The NCAA has 60 days to respond.