‘Move into a brighter future’: UofL admins react to IARP ruling

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After years of awaiting unknown punishments, University of Louisville fans are breathing a small sigh of relief following a long awaited ruling.

The ruling issued Thursday by the NCAA Independent Accountability Resolution Process comes after claims that Adidas officials paid the father of recruit Brian Bowen to attend and play for UofL.

While the infraction was a lower-level infraction, it came at a time when UofL was already on probation for a recruiting sex scandal that was brought to the public in 2015.

At a presentation by UofL officials on Thursday, athletics director Josh Heird said he learned about the punishment before it came to the public.

He said he expected anything from a potential post-season ban or lost scholarships.

The ruling only punished the university with a $5,000 fine and received a two-week ban on communication with recruits during the 2022-23 school year. The school will also remain on probation for two years.

Still, Heird said the university has faced other penalties during the five-year wait.

”The millions of dollars this program has spent, the millions of dollars this program has lost, the opportunity for the highest level, which is the expectation when they come to the University of Louisville, yeah, it’s been a big impact,” Heird said.

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The IARP said the wait was not part of the decision for the punishment the university received.

UofL’s interim president, Lori Stewart Gonzales, said while the impact was felt on the education side as well, it’s time to look forward.

“Today we close the book on the past,” Gonzales said. “We ask all of the Cardinal nation to get behind these young men and all our teams, as we move into a brighter future.”

While the investigation led to the dismissals of former head coach Rick Pitino and UofL athletic director Tom Jurich, nobody currently on staff or current student athletes are facing any punishment in the ruling.

The administration said most of all, they are looking forward to put the past aside.

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