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NCAA Coaches: Bribing Players

Kansas disputes NCAA allegations against basketball team

The University of Kansas is disputing all allegations of wrongdoing by its men's basketball program that have been levied by the NCAA, the school said in its reply to the NCAA on Thursday.

The NCAA served Kansas with a notice of allegations in September stemming from the college basketball bribery scandal that led to the criminal prosecution of several former Adidas employees and consultants. The notice included five Level I violations, the most serious under NCAA rules.

Among the most serious charges were lack of institutional control by the school and head coach responsibility violations by Jayhawks coach Bill Self. The football program was cited for Level II violations.

In its response issued Thursday, Kansas stated: "In this case, stemming from federal criminal trials in 2018, there are several facts that are in dispute; there are assumptions made; and, perhaps most importantly, there are unprecedented and novel theories put forward that, if found to have merit by the Panel, would dramatically alter the collegiate sports landscape in ways not contemplated by the Membership.

The Jayhawks' statement goes on to say, "The University formally challenges each of the men's basketball related allegations in the Amended Notice of Allegations ("ANOA") as neither NCAA legislation nor the facts support the enforcement staff's allegations."

Specifically, the university and Self dispute that Adidas or its employees were acting as boosters for the program.

Adidas and its employees were at the center of a federal investigation into bribes and other corruption in college basketball over the past two years. The Jayhawks are the company's flagship program and signed a 14-year, $196 million apparel and sponsorship extension in April.

"Of particular concern to the institution, is the NCAA's assertion that Adidas, and Adidas employees and associates, were representatives of the University's athletics interests (as defined by NCAA legislation) during the period of the alleged violations and therefore acting on the University's behalf when they engaged in alleged violations of NCAA bylaws," the university statement said. "The evidence however, based mainly on trial testimony, fails utterly to support a conclusion that Adidas or any Adidas employees acted as representatives of the University during the period in question. Individuals formally associated with Adidas acted in their own interests when they gave money to the family and guardians of student-athletes.

"In fact, sworn testimony makes clear that these former Adidas associates went to great lengths to conceal their activities from Kansas and its basketball staff. The University did not know and, as the evidence reveals, could not have reasonably known, about the conduct of these persons formerly affiliated with Adidas."

The NCAA enforcement staff has 60 days to reply to Kansas' response, and then a hearing before the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions would potentially be scheduled as early as six to eight weeks later.

There's also a possibility the case will be resolved through NCAA's independent accountability resolution process, which the governing body created last year to handle high-profile cases involving potentially serious infractions. Independent investigators, advocates and decision-makers with no direct ties to NCAA member schools further investigate the case, if necessary, and then adjudicate a ruling. Under those procedures, there is no appeal to the independent resolution panel's ruling.

Memphis was informed Wednesday that it would be the first school to go through the independent accountability resolution process. The case is related to the Tigers' recruitment of former basketball star James Wiseman.

In its statement Thursday, Kansas called the NCAA enforcement staff's position "a never before alleged theory."

"Stated otherwise, according to the enforcement staff, every corporate sponsor and most, if not all, individuals associated with the sponsor are boosters of every institution with which the sponsor does business," the statement said. "This theory, if adopted by the Panel, would have far reaching ramifications throughout the Membership given the universal use of corporate sponsorships throughout Division I athletics. Moreover, as is explained in the Response, under the terms of NCAA legislation, innumerable current and former student-athletes would be ineligible due to their pre-enrollment participation in non-scholastic events and on non-scholastic teams that were provided financial support by Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, and others."

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...sas-disputes-ncaa-allegations-basketball-team
 
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When coaches like Miller and Wade are caught red-handed with audio tapes aired for all to hear, and the NCAA still does zilch, you know there is virtually no enforcement and recruiting is basically the Wild West. Practically the only way any punishment happens is if the school admits to wrongdoing. No matter if everyone knows rules were broken, so long as the coach denies it, they get off scott free. The honor system to police foxes that guard the hen house - that is the ultimate joke.
 
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