Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team served with nine NCAA rule violations

The University of Arizona men’s basketball team received nine NCAA rules violations, including five Level I allegations stemming from an investigation from 2017, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.

Level I allegations are the most serious among NCAA rules and have the most severe consequences.

Arizona has been charged with nine rules violations by the NCAA, which could lead to massive sanctions against the school’s athletic department, especially the men’s basketball program, reports @ByPatForde https://t.co/G6sSXPhwxg

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 25, 2020

Allegations

The Athletic first reported the allegations on Sunday, stating that it obtained the information from a letter that Arizona’s outside attorney, Paul Kelley, sent to the NCAA.

In the letter, Kelley requests that the infractions case be referred to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP).

The IARP was formed in 2018 to handle complex cases that violate NCAA core values.

The Athletic also reported that the Wildcats’ head coach, Sean Miller, is being charged with lack of head coach control.

Moreover, the athletic department as a whole is being charged with a lack of institutional control.

Consequences for such allegations can include a postseason ban anywhere from 1-4 years and a full-season suspension for Miller.

The NCAA sent the notice of allegations to Arizona on Oct. 21. The school acknowledged receiving them on Oct. 23, but would not release any of the details.

Arizona was served with nine allegations of misconduct, five of which are classified as Level I violations, in the Notice of Allegations that the NCAA sent to the school on Oct. 21, The Athletic has learned.

More details ⤵️https://t.co/EZ1aqoalYg

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 25, 2020

Board of Regents

The Arizona board of regents will meet in a special executive meeting Monday to discuss the allegations.

Board of regents Chair, Larry E. Penley, released a statement Oct. 23 in regards to the notice of allegations.

“The board recognizes that the issuance by the NCAA of a Notice of Allegations is another step in its comprehensive enforcement process,” the statement read. “Maintaining the integrity of the process, while frustratingly slow, has been and remains essential and we look forward to an expeditious resolution.”

Other Schools

The federal investigation of college basketball began in 2017.

Arizona is the eighth university to publicly acknowledge its NCAA misconduct allegations.

In addition to Arizona, the other schools include Kansas, Louisville, NC State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, TCU and USC.

Alabama, Auburn and Creighton were also under investigation.

However, none of these schools have confirmed receiving a notice of allegations.

Oklahoma State is the only one of these schools to receive penalties for its misconduct.

In June, the NCAA Committee on Infractions placed OSU on a three-year probation, and banned them from playing in the postseason this year.

Paying Ayton

Former Arizona assistant coach, Emanuel “Book” Richardson, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in a plea deal in 2019.

During one of the trials, prosecutors played a wiretap of a conversation between Richardson and aspiring manager Christian Dawkins.

The conversation implied that Miller was paying former center, Deandre Ayton, $10,000 per month while he was attending the school.

Miller denied paying Ayton, or any other player at Arizona.

“I never have, and I never will,” Miller said during a news conference in March 2018.