A former staffer of the University of Louisville men's basketball team provided at least $5,400 in stripteases, sex acts and cash to recruits, athletes and coaches, according to the NCAA.
On Thursday morning, university officials released a letter from the NCAA's dated Monday that outlined its findings.
The investigation was prompted by allegations that former staff member Andre McGee hired an escort service to provide strippers and sex to recruits and players.
With likely punishment looming, then-president James Ramsey self-imposed a ban on post-season play in February.
According to the NCAA's letter, representatives of the program "arranged for and/or provided impermissible inducements, offers and/or extra benefits in the form of adult entertainment, sex acts and/or cash at Billy Minardi Hall (Minardi), a campus dormitory, or Louisville, Kentucky, hotels to at least 17 then men's basketball prospective and/or current student-athletes, two then nonscholastic men's basketball coaches and one then men's basketball prospective student-athlete's friend. The value of the impermissible inducements, offers and/or extra benefits was at least $5,400."
U of L President Neville Pinto and athletic director Tom Jurich said in a joint statement that the "entire episode is a deep disappointment to all of us who love this university."
In a press conference, Jurich said he's asked himself "a million times" if head coach Rick Pitino should have known.
"I’ve come to the conclusion that he could not have known," Jurich said. "No matter what he did or how close he is to his players and his staff, he could not have known.”
Pitino says he’s only guilty of trusting McGee.
U of L has 90 days to respond.
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This story has been updated.
Rick Howlett contributed to this report. Kate Howard can be reached at khoward@kycir.org and (502) 814.6546.
Disclosures: In 2015, the University of Louisville, which for years has donated to Louisville Public Media, earmarked $3,000 to KyCIR as part of a larger LPM donation. University board member Stephen Campbell and former member Sandra Frazier have donated.
