Chancellor: KU has not received rules violation allegations from NCAA

By Dylan Lysen     Sep 20, 2019

Carter Gaskins
University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod speaks during a KU forum about budget cuts at Eaton Hall in this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, file photo.

The University of Kansas Athletics program is prepared to receive allegations of rules violations from the NCAA, but so far the university has not received anything from the organization, KU Chancellor Douglas Girod said Friday.

However, Girod said he wouldn’t be surprised if a notice came soon.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s anytime,” Girod said. “But I don’t have direct knowledge of that.”

Girod briefly spoke to the Journal-World at the KU Athletics offices on campus Friday afternoon. When asked about a Kansas City Star report that says the NCAA is preparing to send allegations to the university, Girod said “they may know something we don’t.”

Acknowledging the NCAA has been investigating the KU basketball program for rules violations, Girod said the university expected to receive something from the organization.

“Usually they subsequently come forward,” Girod said of the NCAA’s investigation process. “So we’re anticipating that at some point, but to my knowledge we have not gotten anything.”

In an email to the Journal-World Friday afternoon, KU athletics spokesman Dan Beckler confirmed the program has not received an NOA from the NCAA.

Speculation that KU basketball will be hit with major violations has been rampant for months. For the past several weeks, the Journal-World has received information from sources close to college basketball that a notice of allegations against the KU men’s basketball program is likely. But that information lacked more specific detail, and it has been difficult to determine if the information is based merely on speculation or whether the university has received definitive information that a notice of allegations is pending.

It has been confirmed for months that KU is under investigation by the NCAA for any role the school may have played in a recruiting scandal that resulted in federal fraud convictions earlier this year. Three of the men convicted in the recruiting scandal had ties to KU through their relationship with Adidas, the athletic apparel company that has a multimillion dollar sponsorship agreement with KU.

During a federal trial in one of the fraud cases, former Adidas representative T.J. Gassnola admitted to paying $90,000 to the family of former KU basketball team member Billy Preston in order to get Preston to attend KU. Gassnola also admitted to paying the guardian of KU basketball player Silvio De Sousa $2,500 — and had agreed to pay more — to get De Sousa to attend KU.

During the trial, text messages and other information presented to the court raised questions about whether KU head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend knew that Adidas officials were taking actions to steer recruits to KU in violation of NCAA rules.

PREV POST

Game Day Breakdown: KU football vs. West Virginia

NEXT POST

53897Chancellor: KU has not received rules violation allegations from NCAA