Under Pitino, director of basketball operations Andre McGee hired strippers and prostitutes as a way of gaining favor with high school recruits from to The scandal broke wide open in , when Katina Powell, who was in charge of organizing the women to bring to campus, published a book detailing the racket, titled Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen.
Looking to avoid a multi-game suspension for their head coach, both the school and Pitino acceded to 37 of the 40 accusations made by the NCAA in their response to the league.
However, the University does not believe these dances or sexual activities greatly assisted its recruiting efforts. As noted elsewhere in this response, at least one prospect reported that this experience resulted in his disliking the University. In its page response, Louisville defended Pitino, claiming he is not guilty of negligence.
After Pitino made clear he had no plans to resign when the scandal hit a year ago, Louisville self-imposed a postseason ban last season in hopes of easing any future NCAA penalty. The A. Nick Martin. Filed to: ncaa. Share This Story. Get our newsletter Subscribe.
About the author Nick Martin.
