July 19, 2018 Basketball / Defamation / Ethics / Litigation / NCAA

Former Louisville Basketball Players Sue NCAA

In February 2018, the University of Louisville men’s basketball program was forced to vacate 123 wins from the 2011-2014 seasons. This included Louisville’s 2013 national championship, making Louisville the first university to have to vacate a national title. The program was forced to vacate these wins and pay fines by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) due to multiple NCAA infractions. The infractions revolved around former staff member Andre McGee of the men’s basketball team allegedly hiring exotic dancers and escorts to entice recruits to …

March 2, 2018 NCAA

Pitino Recommends Legal Action to Reclaim Louisville’s National Title

The Louisville basketball team drama continues as former coach Rick Pitino asks the school to consider taking legal action to address the NCAA’s requirement that the team forfeit its national title. In February, Louisville appealed the NCAA’s decision that forced the team to forego its 2013 national title, as well as 123 wins dating back to 2011, and to pay about $600,000 in penalties. The Infractions Appeals Committee was unsympathetic to the team’s plea and affirmed the above sanctions. On February 21, 2018, immediately …

December 21, 2017 Basketball / Litigation / NCAA

Rick Pitino Shoots Back at Adidas’ Motion to Dismiss Emotional Distress Suit

Dribbling around the allegations connecting him to a bribery scandal, former University of Louisville men’s basketball coach, Rick Pitino, fought back against Adidas’ arguments to toss his claim alleging emotional distress. Adidas filed a motion at the end of November to either dismiss the case for failure to state a claim or stay it in favor of mandatory arbitration because of a provision in a contract between Pitino and Adidas. Pitino, in response, argued the product endorsement contract with Adidas does not apply to …

November 10, 2017 NCAA

Eight People Indicted in NCAA Bribery Scandal

A series of indictments unsealed on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 reveal more of the iceberg of the dark underbelly of college basketball. The scandal was publicized in September when ten individuals were arrested. The new indictments named Adidas executive Jim Gatto, sports agent Christian Dawkins, Auburn University associate head coach Chuck Person, Oklahoma State University assistant coach Lamont Evans, University of Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson, University of Southern California assistant coach Anthony Bland, former Adidas adviser Merl Code and former NCAA referee Rashan Michel. …

September 28, 2017 NCAA

Bribery Scandal Rocks the NCAA

Federal investigators in New York arrested ten individuals and then publicized three complaints on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 that depict a thriving black market for teenage athletes and “the dark underbelly of college basketball.” The covert probe began in 2015, when a fallen financial adviser agreed to wear a wire for the FBI. Calls and meetings were wiretapped, and coaches unknowingly talked to undercover agents posing as financial advisors.

One scheme involved four NCAA assistant basketball coaches at schools in the “Power 5” conferences of …