Louisville Receives Verbal Notice of Inquiry from NCAA over Corruption Scandal

The Louisville Cardinals have been officially warned they are under NCAA investigation as part of the fallout from the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption. 

"We received verbal notice of inquiry from the NCAA on March 8," school spokesman John Karman confirmed to Jeff Greer of The Athletic. "There are no other details I can provide at this time."

Greer noted the NCAA's verbal notice of inquiry came in early March and is an "initial step" in an expected larger investigation. The next step is often for the NCAA to provide a written notice of inquiry.

Danielle Lerner of the Courier-Journal noted in March former Adidas executive James Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and agent runner Christian Dawkins were all sentenced to prison as part of the FBI's investigation into the practice of using money and impermissible benefits to steer recruits toward certain schools.

The report pointed out Judge Lewis Kaplan mentioned former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino by name during the hearing.

"They knew what they did was wrong, they were covering their tracks and they were covering Rick Pitino's tracks," Kaplan said of the trio sentenced to prison. "They knew he was out if they got caught."

According to Lerner, recorded calls between Dawkins and Louisville assistant coaches, as well as testimony from former Cardinals recruit Brian Bowen's father saying an assistant coach provided money for rent, were among the evidence the NCAA sought.

NCAA investigations are nothing new for the Cardinals basketball program, as it was forced to vacate 123 wins from the 2011-12 season through the 2014-15 season following a sex scandal involving recruits. Those wins included two trips to the Final Four and the 2013 national championship.

Greer noted Kansas and Arizona are also under NCAA investigation as part of the fallout.