NCAA IARP Rules No Level-1 Violations for Kansas Basketball

Six-year endeavor ends with a three-year probation and the removal of the 2018 Final Four.

To paraphrase the great T.S. Eliot:

This is the way Kansas' NCAA infraction case ends. 

This is the way Kansas' NCAA infraction case ends.

This is the way Kansas' NCAA infraction case ends.

Not with a bang, but with probation. 

After years of waiting for this day, the NCAA's Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) team has ruled that the five level-one violations against Kansas basketball are actually level two and level three cases. 

From Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde:

In a decision announced Wednesday, the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Review Process (IARP) led to a downgrade in the severity of the five Level I allegations against the program, ultimately judging this a Level II case. The Independent Resolution Panel gave Kansas a three-year probation, with no effect on the program’s postseason status. Head coach Bill Self, who was initially charged with a Level I violation and was suspended for four games last season, was instead charged with a Level III violation and no additional penalties. Assistant coach Kurtis Townsend, who was suspended four games last year as well, also had his charges reduced from Level I to a Level II and a Level III violation, with no additional penalties. Neither coach faces a show-cause order, which could have been applicable for Level I violations.

What didn't come out until after the Sports Illustrated story was published is that Kansas will have to vacate the wins that included Silvio De Sousa, including the 2018 Final Four. Michael Swain of 247Sports also included the other penalties from the ruling: 

Here's a rundown of the official penalties Kansas has/will serve as a result of the IARP case. #KUbball pic.twitter.com/olDhk7hTP5

— Michael Swain (@MSwain247) October 11, 2023

The wins and other vacated elements could still be appealed, so we may not have an answer on that for a while. And remember, De Sousa was actually cleared by the NCAA during that season. 

If you're trying to remember what all of this stemmed from, it was the Billy Preston engagement with TJ Gassnola of Adidas, the Silvio de Sousa eligibility because of Under Armour payments, and a reported conversation from Kurtis Townsend involving Zion Williamson's recruitment. 

And as Andy Joseph of USA Today pointed out, it never amounted to much:

The entire case against Kansas was always silly when you broke it down:
- Billy Preston never played for Kansas and was suspended
- Silvio served his suspension and was cleared
- Zion Williamson went to Duke

— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) October 11, 2023

The vacated wins are a disappointment, but it's also an interesting punishment when everyone knows they happened, the history books just won't reflect it. Now the Jayhawks program can move forward with recruiting without the case looming over its head and are now in the NIL era where players making money would limit the potential to break this probation.