Kansas Men's Basketball Escapes Serious Penalties in NCAA Investigation
The University of Kansas men's basketball team will have to vacate its 2018 Final Four appearance but escaped serious penalties after a six-year NCAA investigation. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IRP) found no credible evidence that Kansas knew about the payments made by Adidas. The IRP determined that Kansas committed less severe violations and placed the program on three years of probation. Head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend received a four-game self-imposed suspension, which the IRP accepted. However, player Silvio DeSousa was deemed ineligible for games during the 2017-18 season, including the national semifinal game against Villanova. Kansas will have to remove its Final Four banner and falls behind Kentucky as the winningest program in history. The case concludes the schools initially named in the FBI investigation in 2017.