Kansas’ national championship victory on Monday has come with a cloud of uncertainty, as many people wonder if this title will stick. The NCAA is expected to hand down a punishment to Bill Self and the Jayhawks soon for the program’s role in the FBI investigation.
Well, Dick Vitale says not to worry. The ESPN college basketball analyst said to not expect this title to be vacated as part of the punishment.
“Just FYI all those claiming that the [Kansas] championship victories will be vacated once the INDEPENDENT committee rules,” Vitale wrote. “YOU r WRONG as none of the current players were part of the investigation which took place years ago. KU players were all eligible.”
Vitale criticized the pace of the investigation, which began in September 2019, by predicting it would end at Bill Self’s 70th birthday.
“The rate of speed that the INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY RESOLUTION PROCESS is moving their decision might arrive at the retirement party by [Kansas] fans for Bill Self at his 70 th birthday . The decision of the NCAA to have this Committee as an option has been a DISASTER,” he tweeted.
Self turns 60 in December.
Finally, after receiving blowback from his original take that these players aren’t part of the investigation, Vitale clarified that his tweet was a fact, not an opinion.
“It is really amazing how some of you interpret a statement. I shared FYI a fact. (not my opinion) Since none of the [Kansas] players were ineligible during the competition those victories WILL NOT BE VACATED . Write NCAA not me as I am simply stating a fact.”
Vitale has been critical of the NCAA’s handling of the Kansas investigation, even saying that former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski should become the first-ever college basketball commissioner.
Kansas received a Notice of Allegations in September 2019, with the NCAA charging the school with lack of institutional control, five Level 1 violations and asking for a head coaching change from Bill Self. The NCAA also said that Kansas recruit T.J. Gassnola and Self openly discussed Adidas helping Kansas recruit players in texts.
The head coach and the Jayhawks have vehemently denied the claims. The original investigation included multiple men’s basketball program.
Among those cases that were closed, Oklahoma State was banned from the men’s NCAA tournament in 2022, former NC State head coach Mark Gottfried and assistant coach Orlando Early received separate show-cause orders, and Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended two games.
Most recently, LSU fired head coach Will Wade after the NCAA handed down a Notice of Allegations including five Level 1 violations. Arizona and Louisville also received Notices of Allegations in the past year.
