Kansas basketball has a lot to answer for amid charges of violations. So does the NCAA
The arrival of the official notice that the University of Kansas received Monday detailing serious allegations against the men’s basketball program wasn’t exactly a surprise. But the details of the letter were shocking.
The NCAA charged the basketball program with five Level 1 violations, the most serious. Three directly involve Adidas, the sportswear company, and recruited athletes.
Head basketball coach Bill Self is accused of a breach of conduct, a separate Level 1 violation. Finally, the NCAA accused the university of a lack of institutional control, the most ominous Level 1 breach of all.
The football program faces two allegations of Level 2 violations, which are considered less serious.
The announcement confirmed The Star’s reporting that the NCAA was preparing the basketball notice.
KU’s response was quick and aggressive: “The University will fiercely dispute in detail much of what has been presented,” the school’s statement said. “The University firmly and fully supports Coach Self and his staff.”
Self also provided a statement. “The (NCAA) enforcement staff has created a false narrative regarding me and our basketball program,” he said. “The narrative is based on innuendo, half-truths, misimpressions and mischaracterizations.”
Discovering the truth will take months. It will be complicated and will undoubtedly be a distraction for the university and its athletic programs. Some Jayhawk fans will be deeply disappointed and angry.
When word of the allegations first surfaced, we urged the coach and Kansas to be fully transparent with the NCAA and the public as the probe unfolds.
Kansans must be absolutely confident that KU’s athletic programs abide by the letter, and the spirit, of laws and NCAA regulations. Any attempt by KU to delay, obfuscate or otherwise hinder a full investigation would be unacceptable.
At the same time, the NCAA has a serious responsibility, too. The organization must demonstrate a willingness to present all the evidence for public scrutiny and to prove facts beyond any reasonable doubt.
The NCAA has presented a stunning bill of particulars against KU and has threatened it with extraordinary sanctions. The allegations already have damaged the university — damage that cannot be undone.
The NCAA has as much on the line as Kansas.
Finally, Adidas — the shoe and sportswear company at the center of the national scandal — must answer for its actions, and those of its employees and associates. The company should not escape sanctions for any aberrant behavior.
The Jayhawk football team also stands accused of Level 2 violations involving former head coach David Beaty and a former video coordinator. In its statement, KU was much less protective of that program.
“I am confident in the University’s process leading to the self-reported violations arising from the previous football staff,” said a statement from current head coach Les Miles.
Kansas football fans will be disappointed with the harm inflicted on a struggling football program. Here, too, the truth must come out.
But the allegations pale against those lodged against Self and men’s basketball.
In his statement, Self acknowledged the deep dysfunction surrounding all of college hoops. “It’s no secret that there is tremendous pressure on the NCAA to respond to the federal court proceedings involving college basketball,” he said.
The University of Kansas should not be forced to pay for all the sins of the messy reality of college athletics. But it can’t ask for a pass, either.
The school should be held responsible for its actions, no more and no less. All Kansans have a right to expect that.
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 10:23 AM.