The University of Arizona has been served with nine allegations of misconduct, including five Level I allegations, the most serious under NCAA rules, following a multiyear investigation of its men’s basketball program, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.
The Athletic, which first reported the number of allegations, also reported on Sunday that Arizona has been charged with lack of institutional control and failure to monitor, and Wildcats coach Sean Miller has been charged with lack of head coach control.
On Friday, Arizona officials acknowledged receiving a notice of allegations from the NCAA, but declined to release it or provide details.
A special meeting of the Arizona board of regents is scheduled for Monday.
The Athletic reported that Wildcats women’s swimming and diving coach Augie Busch also is charged with a head coach control violation.
Arizona is the eighth university to publicly acknowledge receiving an NCAA notice of allegations related to information obtained from a federal investigation into bribes and other misconduct in college basketball, joining Kansas, Louisville, NC State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, TCU and USC.
Former Arizona assistant Emanuel “Book” Richardson was one of four former assistant coaches who pleaded guilty for their roles in the federal bribery case. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in a plea deal, after prosecutors accused him of accepting $20,000 to steer Arizona players to certain managers and financial advisers once they turned pro. A judge sentenced him to three months in prison and two years of probation.
During one of the federal criminal trials, prosecutors played a wiretap recording to the jury in which Richardson told aspiring manager Christian Dawkins that Miller was paying then-Wildcats star center Deandre Ayton $10,000 per month while he was enrolled at the school.
Dawkins and Richardson were discussing how to recruit Ayton as a client to Dawkins’ fledgling sports management company.
While talking about Ayton, Richardson told Dawkins, “Sean’s got to get the [expletive] out of the way and let us work.”
“We’ll see how Sean plays it out,” Dawkins said.
“You know what he bought per month?” Richardson asked.
“What he do?” Dawkins asked.
“I told you — 10,” Richardson replied.
“He’s putting up some real money for them [expletive],” Dawkins responded. “He told me he’s getting killed.”
“But that’s his fault,” Richardson said.
During the same recording, Dawkins indicated then-Wildcats guard Rawle Alkins was also receiving improper benefits while playing at Arizona.
“You already know Sean is taking care of Rawle and them,” Dawkins said.