In Louisville, NCAA ruling looks like injustice revealed, chance to reclaim 2013 title | Kentucky

LOUISVILLE – The appearance of a double standard by college sports’ governing body is raising hopes the University of Louisville’s 2013 NCAA basketball championship can be restored.

UofL athletics director Josh Heird told the Kentucky Lantern he has been in contact with NCAA President Charlie Baker about revisiting the Cardinals’ vacated title and been encouraged by indications the NCAA is open to reconciling inconsistencies in its penalty structure.

kAm%96 D@FC46 @7 w6:C5’D ?6H7@F?5 @AE:>:D> 2C6 A6?2=E:6D :>A@D65 =2DE >@?E9 @? E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:49:82?’D 7@@E32== AC@8C2>[ H9:49 5:5 ?@E :?4=F56 2?J G242E65 G:4E@C:6D 56DA:E6 D4@FE:?8 2?5 D:8?2=\DE62=:?8 G:@=2E:@?D 72C >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 27764E 82>6D E92? 5:5 E96 DEC:AA6C D42?52= E92E :?G2=:52E65 {@F:DG:==6’D E:E=6]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96 |:49:82? 42D6 😀 E96 7:CDE 42D6 H96C6 H6 42? C62==J A@:?E E@ E96 AC64656?E 2?5 D2J H6’G6 366? EC62E65 F?72:C=J[” &@7{’D w6:C5 D2:5] “*@F 92G6 2? :?DE:EFE:@? E92E 24E:G6=J AFE 2 D496>6 E@86E96C E@ 82:? 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 25G2?E286 3J 4962E:?8[ 3FE E96J WE96 }rppX 5:5?’E E2<6 E96:C 492>A:@?D9:A 32??6C 2H2J] %92E D66>D G6CJ F?72:C]”k^Am

kAm%96 492:C @7 E96 962C:?8 A2?6= 😕 E96 |:49:82? 42D6 D2:5 ?@ (@=G6C:?6D G:4E@C:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 a_ac r@==686 u@@E32== !=2J@77 492>A:@?D9:A[ H6C6 G242E65 3642FD6 }rpp CF=6D AC64=F56 DF49 A6?2=E:6D 😕 42D6D H96C6 :?7C24E:@?D 5:5 ?@E C6DF=E 😕 2E9=6E6D 36:?8 CF=65 :?6=:8:3=6]k^Am

kAm“%92E H2D ?@E 2 724E@C AC6D6?E 😕 E9:D 42D6[” D2:5 E96 492:C[ 2EE@C?6J }@C>2? q2J[ 😕 6IA=2:?:?8 E96 D2?4E:@?D] “$@ :E H2D ?@E 2 A6?2=EJ[ 😕 @E96C H@C5D[ E92E 4@F=5 36 4@?D:56C65] p?5 H6 5:5 ?@E :>A@D6 :E]”k^Am

kAm$E:==[ E@ E96 6IE6?E E92E 5:DE:?4E:@? 72:=D E@ 244@F?E 7@C E96 4@>A6E:E:G6 :>A24E @7 |:49:82?’D 6IE6?D:G6 2?5 :>A6C>:DD:3=6 D4@FE:?8 2?5 D:8?\DE62=:?8 G6CDFD E96 D6IF2= D96?2?:82?D 😕 {@F:DG:==6’D 32D<6E32== 5@C>[ E96 EH@ 42D6D C6:?7@C46 =@?8\DE2?5:?8 4@>A=2:?ED 23@FE E96 4@?D:DE6?4J @7 }rpp ;FDE:46]k^Am

kAm|@C6@G6C[ E9@F89 E96 r@>>:EE66 @? x?7C24E:@?D 24@H=65865 2 A@DED62D@? 32? H2D C6BF:C65 😕 E96 |:49:82? 42D6 5F6 E@ E96 D6G6C:EJ @7 E96 :?7C24E:@?D[ E96 D49@@=’D =24< @7 4@@A6C2E:@? 2?5 :ED C6A62E @776?56C DE2EFD[ 2 7:?2?4:2= A6?2=EJ H2D DF3DE:EFE65 7@C E92E D2?4E:@? 3642FD6 “2 A@DED62D@? 32? H@F=5 F?72:C=J A6?2=:K6 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D 7@C E96 24E:@?D @7 4@2496D 2?5 DE277 H9@ 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 |:49:82? 7@@E32== AC@8C2>]”k^Am

kAm“&=E:>2E6=J[ |:49:82? H2D 244FD65 @7 D@>6 AC6EEJ 68C68:@FD G:@=2E:@?D[” D2:5 2EE@C?6J y2D@? $6E496?[ H9@ 92D C6AC6D6?E65 ?F>6C@FD 2E9=6E6D 😕 }rpp 42D6D[ ?@E23=J 7@C>6C {@F:DG:==6 32D<6E32== C64CF:E qC:2? q@H6?] “p?5 H92E H2D 5:776C6?E 23@FE W|:49:82?’DX G:@=2E:@?D H2D E96C6 H6C6 2 =@E @7 2==682E:@?D 23@FE @?\7:6=5 25G2?E286D] xE 92D 366? 2C8F65 3J D@>6 E92E :E 27764E65 E96:C 86EE:?8 E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6 2?5 H:??:?8 :E]k^Am

kAm“x 5@?’E 36=:6G6 E92E E9@D6 H6C6 E96 D2>6 2==682E:@?D 😕 E96 {@F:DG:==6 42D6]”k^Am

kAm%9@F89 q2<6C[ E96 }rpp AC6D:56?E[ :?:E:2==J :?D:DE65[ “}@ @?6 36=:6G6D 2E E9:D A@:?E E92E |:49:82? 5:5?’E H:? E96 ?2E:@?2= E:E=6 72:C 2?5 DBF2C6[” E96 r@>>:EE66 @? x?7C24E:@?D 7@F?5 6G:56?46 @7 da 82>6D :?G@=G:?8 7FEFC6 @AA@?6?ED |:49:82? 925 :>AC@A6C=J D4@FE65 2?5 4@?4=F565 E9@D6 677@CED “=:<6=J AC@G:565 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 25G2?E286” 2?5 E92E “E96 ECF6 D4@A6 2?5 D42=6 @7 E96 D496>6 – :?4=F5:?8 E96 4@>A6E:E:G6 25G2?E286 :E 4@?76CC65 – H:== ?6G6C 36 @H? 5F6 E@ :?5:G:5F2=D’ :?E6?E:@?2= 56DECF4E:@? @7 >2E6C:2=D 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@?]”k^Am

kAmqJ 4@?EC2DE[ {@F:DG:==6 =@J2=:DED 92G6 =@?8 2C8F65 E92E AC@G:5:?8 DEC:AA6CD 2?5 AC@DE:EFE6D E@ A=2J6CD 2?5 C64CF:ED W>2?J @7 E96> F?56C286X H2D 4=62C=J E2H5CJ 3FE ?@E E24E:42=j E92E :E 925 ?@ 362C:?8 @? 32D<6E32== 82>6D 2?5 AC@G:565 ?@ 5:D46C?:3=6 C64CF:E:?8 25G2?E286]k^Am

kAm“%96J 925 DEC:AA6CD 😕 E96 5@C> C@@>[” w6:C5 D2:5] “uC@> 2 >@C2=:EJ DE2?5A@:?E[ 2== E9@D6 E9:?8D[ ?@E 2 8@@5 =@@<] uC@> 2? 6IEC2 36?67:ED DE2?5A@:?E[ 7C@> 5:C64E=J :>A24E:?8 2 82>6[ :CC6=6G2?E] $@ J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ E6== >6 E92E 2 AC@8C2> 42? 56G:D6 2 A=2? E@ 24E:G6=J 7:?5 H2JD E@ 86E 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 25G2?E286 2?5 E92E’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 AF?:D965 2D >F49 2D H92E H6 H6C6n”k^Am

kAm%96 }rpp 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ >F=E:A=6 :?E6CG:6H C6BF6DED 7@C q2<6C @C 2?@E96C 6I64FE:G6 E@ DA62< E@ &@7{’D 4@?46C?D] x? C6DA@?D6 E@ 2? @A6? C64@C5D C6BF6DE 7@C C646?E 4@CC6DA@?56?46 C6=2E65 E@ E96 G242E65 a_`b E:E=6[ $96CC: !2HD@?[ &@7{’D D6?:@C 4@>A=:2?46 @77:46C[ C6A@CE65[ “(6 92G6 ?@E :56?E:7:65 2?J C6DA@?D:G6 C64@C5D]”k^Am

kAmv:G6? E96 5:DA2C:EJ 😕 AF?:D9>6?ED 36EH66? |:49:82? 2?5 {@F:DG:==6 2?5 E96 @A6? H@F?5 &@7{’D G242E65 E:E=6 C6AC6D6?ED E@ >2?J r2C5:?2= 72?D[ E96 =24< @7 2 7@C>2= C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 |:49:82? D2?4E:@?D >@C6 E92? 2 >@?E9 =2E6C H2D 4FC:@FD] w6:C5 6IA=2:?65 E92E 96 AC676CD E@ >2<6 9:D 42D6 3J E6=6A9@?6 C2E96C E92? 3J 4C62E:?8 2 A2A6C EC2:= 2?5[ >@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ E92E 9:D 42==D 92G6 7@F?5 2 C646AE:G6 62C 😕 q2<6C]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96 =6256CD9:A @7 E96 }rpp C:89E ?@H 😀 G6CJ C62D@?23=6[” 96 D2:5] “x E9:?< E96J F?56CDE2?5 E92E 4@==686 2E9=6E:4D 92D 492?865 5C2>2E:42==J] p?5 D@[ 5@ x E9:?< E96C6’D 2? @A6?:?8n *6D[ x 5@]”k^Am

kAmp? }rpp A2?6= 56?:65 {@F:DG:==6’D 2AA62= @7 :ED a_`f D2?4E:@?D @? u63] a_[ a_`g[ H9:49 H@F=5 ?@C>2==J 36 E96 =2DE H@C5 @? E96 DF3;64E] *6E }rpp 3J=2H `h]`c]c 2==@HD 2?J :?DE:EFE:@? @C :?G@=G65 :?5:G:5F2= E@ :?:E:2E6 2 C6G:6H 3J DF3>:EE:?8 2 3C:67 E@ E96 r@>>:EE66 @? x?7C24E:@?D 962C:?8 A2?6=] %96 }rpp >2?F2= >2<6D ?@ >6?E:@? @7 2 DE2EFE6 @7 =:>:E2E:@?D C682C5:?8 E9:D 2AAC@249]k^Am

kAm{:E:82E:@? 😀 2=D@ 2? @AE:@?] %9C66 J62CD 27E6C E96 }rpp G242E65 “a @7 !6?? $E2E6’D 7@@E32== G:4E@C:6D 2>@?8 :ED D2?4E:@?D 7@C E96 y6CCJ $2?5FD:=J =65 E@ 2 D6EE=6>6?E E92E C6DE@C65 !2E6C?@’D DE2EFD 2D >2;@C 4@==686 7@@E32==’D H:??:?86DE 4@249]k^Am

kAm(96? :E =2DE 5:5 32EE=6 😕 2? }rpp :?7C24E:@?D 42D6[ & @7 { DA2C65 76H 6IA6?D6D[ A2J:?8 DE2C 2EE@C?6J }62= z2EJ2= Sa[ced A6C 9@FC E@ DF446DD7F==J 5676?5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 282:?DE 2==682E:@?D 4@?46C?:?8 qC:2? q@H6?’D C64CF:E>6?E] w6:C5 😀 C6=F4E2?E E@ E2<6 {@F:DG:==6’D 42D6 E@ 4@FCE[ 9@H6G6C[ 762C7F= E92E 5@:?8 D@ >:89E C6DF=E 😕 C6EC:3FE:@? E92E =:>:ED E96 4:EJ’D @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ 9@DE >2;@C }rpp 6G6?ED DF49 2D =2DE J62C’D H@>6?’D G@==6J32== 7:?2=D 2?5 E96 a_af >6?’D 32D<6E32== 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5 C@F?5D 2E E96 zur *F> r6?E6C]k^Am

kAm“{6E’D 2D< E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 BF6DE:@?D 367@C6 H6 86E :?E@ 7F== – x 8F6DD x’== 42== :E ‘(92E6G6C xE %2<6D’ >@56[’ ” w6:C5 D2:5] “x’G6 ?6G6C 366? 2? 25G@42E6 @7 H6’== ;FDE DF6 @FC H2J E@ 86EE:?8 H92E H6 H2?E] xE 5@6D?’E 766= =:<6 E92E’D E96 C:89E H2J E@ 8@] x H2?E E@ 92G6 2== @7 E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 2?5 D66 :7 H6 42? 86E E@ 2 A=246 H96C6 H6 42? 2== 28C66]”k^Am