Louisville MBB Involved in More NCAA Allegations from Mack Era

The University of Louisville men’s basketball team is once again caught in the crosshairs of the NCAA amid more allegations stemming from the time when Chris Mack had the reins of the program.

The allegations come in the form of an amendment to Louisville’s 2020 notice of allegations from the NCAA. This isn’t the first time there have been similar accusations, which involve Mack, accusing him of not promoting an atmosphere for compliance.

According to a report from WLKY.com, the new violations are defined as a significant breach of conduct and are the second most severe violations. They include the program allowing graduate assistants and others to take part in impermissible on-court activities, recruiting video violations, and allegations that Mack did not demonstrate that he promoted an atmosphere for compliance.

These recent allegations tie the muddled history of the program with the present violations. WLKY.com reported that previous allegations from the Rick Pitino era with the Adidas scandal as well as the three new Level II violations.

WLKY.com compiled a breakdown of the allegations below.

• The Complex Case Unit alleges that from the 2018-19 season through the 2020-21 season, members of the institution’s men’s basketball staff violated NCAA Bylaws by allowing graduate assistants, managers, and noncoaching staff members with sport-specific responsibilities to participate in impermissible on-court activities with current men’s basketball student-athletes.
• The CCU alleges that from June of 2018 through the 2020-21 season, members of the institution’s men’s basketball staff violated NCAA Bylaws by producing and showing, playing, or providing personalized recruiting videos and recruiting aids to prospective men’s basketball student-athletes containing the names, pictures and/or likenesses of the prospective men’s basketball student-athletes. In addition, members of the institution’s men’s basketball staff created personalized pamphlets and itineraries for prospective men’s basketball student-athletes to be used on both official and unofficial visits.
• The CCU alleges that from June of 2018 through the 2020-21 season, Chris Mack, the current head men’s basketball coach, is presumed responsible for the violations detailed in Allegations Nos. 5 and 6 (the two above) and did not rebut the presumption of responsibility. Specifically, Mack did not demonstrate that he promoted an atmosphere for compliance due to his personal involvement in the violations and/or the impermissible conduct being done at his direction.

The NCAA notice goes on to say that during Mack’s time working in collegiate athletics, he has not previously committed any major violations.