Today, the NCAA delivered its Notice of Allegations against the Louisville Men’s Basketball program. There was one Level 1 and several Level 2 violations. University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi and AD Vince Tyra held a teleconference to address the NOA.
I was on the teleconference and it was clear Louisville is not going to roll over for the NCAA. AD Tyra mentioned they have already pushed back some on some of what is in the NOA. The new leadership of the school, athletic program, and the men’s basketball program were emphasized a few times. It seems as if UofL will lean heavily on the immediate firing of all parties involved after the allegations originally came to light as a mitigating factor.
The posture both President Bendapudi and AD Tyra took seems to suggest they are ready for a fight. A reporter asked about possibly self-imposing a penalty like a postseason ban. President Bendapudi immediately answered with an emphatic, “No.” While UofL is obviously early on in the process of examining the allegations and forming a response, they mean to fight. What that will mean in the end as far as punishment is concerned is unknown. Both AD Tyra and President Bendapudi seem fairly confident that the process will likely not affect the 2020-2021 Cardinals from participating in the NCAA Tournament.
UofL may use the new mechanism for adjudication, the IARP. It’s a third party not affiliated with the NCAA or the school. The thought is they will examine the evidence, mitigating factors, and the bylaws and come to a more impartial decision. This is one of the institutions that was born from the Rice Commission. However, a process which involves the NCAA is still used to determine whether a case merits being reviewed by the IARP which is a big hurdle to overcome. It’s also important to mention there is no appeal available once the IARP issues a ruling.
To see all of what President Neeli Bendapudi and AD Vince Tyra had to say, click the video below.
