via Last Word on College Basketball, by Derek Helling
On Thursday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced its allegations against the men’s basketball program at the University of Louisville as well as head coach Rick Pitino.
NCAA Allegations Against Louisville: What’s Next?
The most important aspect of the allegations is that Louisville was not charged with the nefarious lack of institutional control. Instead, Pitino was slapped with the charge of failure to monitor.
For background, the allegations stem from a book written by Katina Powell. In the book, Powell stated that former Louisville assistant coach Andre McGee paid women to have sex with players and recruits in the team dormitory.
Now that the NCAA has delivered its allegations, Louisville and Pitino have responded in the interest of minimizing the damage to the men’s basketball program.
Response to the allegations
Pitino denied the allegation of failure to monitor, stating that he was only guilty of trusting a colleague. Athletic director Tom Jurich echoed Pitino, stating that he didn’t believe that Pitino could have known about McGee’s activities. The university will formally dispute the allegations going forward.
The NCAA will not immediately rule on a possible suspension for Pitino. The bylaws afford individuals and institutions charged to dispute the allegations in a hearing. Jurich’s comments make it clear that Louisville intends to exercise that right.
With the Cardinals’ regular season tip-off scheduled for Nov. 11, time is a factor for Louisville. Failure to monitor is a Level 1 infraction according to the NCAA’s bylaws. Those infractions are punishable by a show-cause order. This could result in a suspension of anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of Pitino’s season.
Results of Hearings are Unpredictable
The problem with forecasting what might happen is that there are no hard-and-fast rules about how infraction committees rule on these matters. A look at recent history involving men’s basketball programs being sanctioned by the NCAA is not decisive. There is no clear way to know what Pitino should expect.
Missouri Tigers
Last year, the University of Missouri hit its men’s basketball program with restricted recruiting, reduced scholarships, a $5,000 fine, vacated wins and a post-season ban because players received improper benefits. The NCAA added just a year of probation to that list. They also determined that head coach Kim Anderson had no knowledge of the infractions.
Syracuse Orange
Just a year prior, Syracuse University and men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim were charged with failure to monitor. Syracuse banned its men’s basketball team from participating in post-season play that year. They also vacated 24 wins, restricted its recruiting and eliminated a scholarship. This was all in addition to putting its entire athletic department on probation.
The infractions committee concluded that Boeheim was not aware of, or involved with, the infractions. This is similar to the current situation with Pitino and the failure to monitor charge. Nonetheless, the additional penalties were much more serious than they were in Missouri’s case. The NCAA vacated 101 wins, suspended Boeheim for the first nine conference games of the season, increased the probation to five years, and took away eight scholarships over a four-year period. They also forced Syracuse to pay back all revenue from the Big East tournament for the prior three years.
Louisville and Pitino could face penalties similar to what Anderson and Missouri received. The could also face punishment more in line with that which Boeheim and Syracuse got. The NCAA could also look to impose something in between. What the infraction committee decides will partially depend on what the school does now.
What Louisville Does Now
Louisville already banned its men’s basketball program from post-season play last year. However, it seems that the school is now going to simply await its hearing and deal with the decision of the committee when it comes.
With the season rapidly approaching, and the fate of one of the NCAA’s most lucrative men’s basketball brands at stake, that hearing could come swiftly. The committee’s decision will say a lot about whether the NCAA is going to take an opportunity to make an example of a high-profile program and figure, or if protecting that brand is more important.
Main Photo:
PITTSBURGH, PA – FEBRUARY 24: Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Petersen Events Center on February 24, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
