UofL receives the Notice of Allegations from the NCAA

The University of Louisville just received its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA about the sex scandal that broke last year. UofL will hold a news conference at noon to discuss the allegations, but this morning, released a press release with this brief summary:

The NOA aligns with the results of our inquiry: improper activities took place in a dormitory that never should have occurred.  When the facts were established, we acted.  We took appropriate punitive and corrective actions.  The penalties we imposed were among the most severe penalties ever self-imposed by a NCAA member.

It is important to note what is not being alleged.  The NOA does not contain an allegation that Coach Pitino had knowledge of what took place in the dormitory.  The NCAA does not allege a ‘lack of institutional control’ at Louisville, a very severe allegation.  The NCAA does not allege that there was a ‘failure to monitor’ against the institution, also a severe allegation.  The NCAA does not allege that Coach Pitino failed to ‘promote an atmosphere of compliance’, a serious allegation.  The NOA does contain a narrower allegation — which we will dispute – that Coach Pitino failed to demonstrate that he monitored Mr. McGee.

Yahoo’s Pat Forde is reporting that UofL has been charged with four Level One violations, the most severe in the NCAA’s enforcement structure. Former assistant coach Andre McGee is charged with two Level One violations, and Pitino one Level One violation for failure to adequately monitor McGee. The final Level One violation alleges that former assistant Brandon Williams did not adequately assist in the NCAA’s investigation.

Eric Crawford is reporting that the NOA details 14 strip shows, 11 sex acts, and two declined sex acts.

The NCAA alleges that McGee, a former graduate assistant coach and director of basketball operations, provided impermissible benefits “in the form of adult entertainment, sex acts and/or cash at Billy Minardi Hall . . . or hotels to at least 17 then men’s basketball prospective and/or current student-athletes, two then nonscholastic men’s basketball coaches and one then men’s basketball prospective student-athletes’s friend. The value of the impermissible inducements, offers and/or extra benefits was at least $5,400.”

Good news for UofL: the NOA does NOT allege that Pitino knew of the sex scandal and it does not allege lack of institutional control. UofL now has 90 days to respond.

Matt will discuss all of this at the start of the radio show, so I suggest you tune in.