The University of Louisville men’s basketball program escaped serious punishment and Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino was not penalized at all in the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) ruling, a person briefed on the matter confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- As a repeat offender charged with one Level I violation and four Level II violations, the men’s basketball team could have faced multiyear postseason bans but instead received just two years probation, a reduction in recruiting days and a fine.
- Pitino, now the head coach at Iona, was initially charged with a Level II coaching responsibility violation and could have been suspended for up to an entire season, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
- Former head coach Chris Mack, who was similarly charged, was cleared as well.
Backstory
The ruling brings to a close a longstanding NCAA investigation, in which Louisville faced multiple Level I and Level II violations, most stemming back to the FBI pay-to-play investigation into college basketball in 2017.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Thomas Joseph / USA Today)
