Louisville receives Notice of Allegations from NCAA

Men's basketball program facing investigation from the NCAA

The University of Louisville received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA for the men’s basketball team today, May 4.

The university is currently reviewing the allegations and preparing for a response, which will be provided to the NCAA within 90 days.

The NCAA’s investigation stems from Louisville’s recruitment of Brian Bowen and the Adidas pay-for-play scheme. Louisville could face allegations relating to failure of oversight regarding Adidas and alleged payments made by former assistants Jordan Fair and Kenny Johnson.

"Today, the University of Louisville received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding the 2016-17 and 2017-18 men's basketball program," UofL President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi and Athletic Director Vince Tyra said in a joint letter. "The issuance of the Notice comes after a nearly two-year long investigation by the NCAA enforcement staff."

None of the allegations pertain to administrators, staff, coaches or players currently on staff.

Related: Chris Mack releases statement following Louisville's Notice of Allegations

The allegations issued against Louisville include one Level I and three Level II allegations:

• 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;

Rick Pitino was fired from his position as the program's head coach amid an FBI wiretap investigation in Oct. 2017. 

This story will be updated. Matthew McGavic contributed to this story.

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