Louisville's NCAA ruling on pay-for-play scandal expected tomorrow

It’s been over five years since the FBI revealed its investigation into pay-for-play schemes in college basketball and tomorrow, we could finally find out what punishments the Louisville men’s basketball program will face for its part in it. According to Pat Forde, the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) will hand down its ruling to the Cardinals tomorrow. No appeals are allowed, so this is it, the final decision.

Louisville faces one Level I violation and six Level II violations for alleged recruiting infractions, including offering $100,000 for five-star prospect Brian Bowen through Adidas. The school first received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA in May 2020, but it was amended in October 2021 to include infractions that came to light in the extortion attempt by former Louisville assistant Dino Gaudio. Rick Pitino, Louisville’s coach at the time of the pay-for-play scandal, was fired along with athletic director Tom Jurich, but still faces a Level II charge in the case.

The IARP has handed down two rulings thus far, to Memphis and NC State. Neither was very severe, but neither school are repeat offenders like the Cards. In 2017, the NCAA made Louisville vacate all wins from December 2010 to April 2014 — including the 2013 National Championship — for paying prostitutes to dance for and have sex with players and recruits.

Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting.