The Latest: Louisville To Appeal Pitino Ban, NCAA Penalties
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Latest on the NCAA ruling in the Louisville basketball investigation (all times local):
12:16 p.m.
Louisville interim president Greg Postel says the school plans "to appeal all aspects of the penalties."
Postel says in a statement the NCAA penalties are "unfair to the U of L community and our current and former student-athletes, many of whom have already paid a heavy price for actions that did not involve them."
The NCAA suspended Louisville coach Rick Pitino for five Atlantic Coast Conference games, placed the basketball program on four years' probation, vacated wins in which ineligible players participated and handed down a 10-year show-cause order for former basketball operations director Andre McGee.
Postel noted that former director of operations Andre McGee, who received a 10-year show cause penalty, "long ago left the university, and he has yet to cooperate with investigating officials."
"In contrast, U of L did cooperate," Postel said. "We wanted the NCAA enforcement staff to uncover what happened. We have been open and transparent throughout this process."
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11:40 a.m.
The NCAA penalties Louisville faces include scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions, though some of these penalties were already imposed by the university.
The NCAA is requiring Louisville to reduce scholarships by four during its four-year probation. The school had self-imposed a reduction of two scholarships for 2016-17.
Louisville will be allowed no more than 16 official visits during the 2017-18 school year.
Prospects on unofficial visits won't be allowed to spend the night in any campus dorms or school-owned property while Louisville's on probation.
The NCAA wants Louisville to vacate records for any games "in which student-athletes competed while ineligible from December 2010 and July 2014."
The NCAA says Louisville must provide a written report within 45 days detailing which games were impacted.
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11:15 a.m.
The NCAA has suspended Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino for five Atlantic Coast Conference games following its sex scandal investigation.
The governing body on Thursday also placed the basketball program on four years' probation, vacated wins in which ineligible players participated and handed down a 10-year show-cause order for former basketball operations director Andre McGee.
The long-awaited announcement reiterated the NCAA's original view that Pitino should have known about McGee's activities with former escort Katina Powell. She alleged in a 2015 book that McGee had hired her and other escorts to strip and have sex with Louisville recruits and players.
Powell alleged that McGee paid her $10,000 for 22 shows at the Cardinals' dormitory from 2010-14, a period that includes their NCAA title run.
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10:18 a.m.
Louisville and coach Rick Pitino are awaiting discipline from the NCAA on Thursday regarding a sex scandal that engulfed the men's basketball program.
A former men's basketball staffer is alleged to have hired strippers to entertain players and recruits.
The school met with the governing body in April and expects to hear about its penalties from the Committee on Infractions. Louisville is alleged to have committed four violations, with Pitino charged with failing to monitor former assistant Andre McGee. The Hall of Fame coach and the school vowed to fight that allegation.
Louisville self-imposed several sanctions last year, including a postseason ban along with reducing scholarships and recruiting visits by assistant coaches. The NCAA could accept those measures or add penalties, including a possible suspension of Pitino.
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