NCAA makes changes to speed up investigations in major infractions cases

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It feels like the NCAA has been dragging its feet with its investigations, but soon, that could change. Yesterday, the Division I Board of Directors approved immediate changes that will allow the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) to speed up its investigations into major infractions cases. Currently, the IARP is investigating Louisville, Arizona, LSU, Kansas, NC State, and Memphis.

In a nutshell, the changes will streamline the process by allowing the IARP’s complex case unit to accept the investigative work of the NCAA’s enforcement staff unless they have a “compelling” reason to dig more. A criticism of the current process is that the IARP wastes time re-investigating cases the enforcement staff has already thoroughly looked into. Timelines will also be developed and published for each case to “provide transparency and improve credibility.”

“The oversight committee, which has expressed concerns about the delay in the resolution of cases referred to the independent process, determined that much of the delay is the result of efforts by the Complex Case Unit to ‘re-investigate’ cases that the enforcement staff thoroughly investigated,” the NCAA’s statement reads. “Accepting the enforcement staff’s results will speed the process significantly without compromising the goals of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, committee members think.”

The IARP was formed in August 2019 to handle cases related to the FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting. Back in April, the NCAA said it expects the IARP to reach decisions in all six cases within 12 months. According to ESPN, LSU’s case is the only one the IARP is handling that was not thoroughly investigated by the NCAA enforcement staff. The complex case unit was scheduled to wrap up its investigation into LSU by July 31 and issue a notice of allegations within 60 days.

Hopefully the clock is ticking.