The University of Kansas has received a response from NCAA enforcement staff in the violations allegations case against its men’s basketball and football programs, the Journal-World has confirmed from a source close to the situation.
It’s unclear when exactly KU received the response — the NCAA’s deadline to respond was Tuesday — or if it will be made public.
The Journal-World filed a request for the response under the Kansas Open Records Act on Tuesday, but has not received the document.
The response from the NCAA enforcement staff is one of the final steps in the case, which began when KU received the NCAA’s original Notice of Allegations in September. Now that KU has received the response from the NCAA, the next step in the process will be a hearing before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions. It’s not known when that hearing would take place.
KU issued its defense against the allegations on March 5, after the NOA was amended several times. The NCAA enforcement staff then had 60 days to respond to that defense, meaning that its deadline was on Tuesday.
In the original NOA, the NCAA alleged the KU’s men’s basketball program and coach Bill Self committed five severe violations tied to recruiting. The football program was also accused of some lower-level violations — the origins of which are being disputed in a lawsuit filed by former coach David Beaty.
The allegations carry potential punishments that could keep the basketball program from the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1989 and result in a long-term suspension for Self, among other possible penalties.
In KU’s 149-page response to the NOA in March, the university and its outside legal team argued that the NCAA’s evidence in the case is not credible, and it did not acknowledge that any violations took place in its men’s basketball program.
The response, separate from individual responses by Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend, argued that the NCAA’s allegations rely on a “never before alleged theory” that employees of corporate partners are boosters to college athletic programs.
Sports editor Matt Tait contributed to this article, which will be updated as more information becomes available.