LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The University of Kansas did not produce any written reports of an independent examination of its athletics department amid a federal investigation of corruption in college basketball because an external report wasn’t necessary, Chancellor Douglas Girod said.
The university review came before Kansas was named earlier this month as one of the schools where a former Adidas representative allegedly arranged payments to parents of athletes to ensure the athletes committed to the schools.
Girold said Monday he was given verbal briefings after last fall’s review but he didn’t receive any written reports. The university’s review was prompted by an Oct. 11 memo from the NCAA requiring Division I basketball programs to examine their men’s basketball programs ”for possible NCAA rules violations, including violations related to offers, inducements, agents, extra benefits, and other similar issues.”
On April 13, Girod said in a statement that he had ”complete confidence” that the athletics department had followed all rules.
”We didn’t feel the need to release an external report,” Girod said. ”What we needed to be sure of is that we are comfortable and confident in the way our team operates and in meeting any and every requirement necessary.”
When The Lawrence Journal-World filed an open records request seeking all written reports related to the review Kansas officials said no such records exist. The newspaper said without a written report it was difficult to determine what the university examined and what methods were used.
Kansas hired an outside law firm but said the firm only provided assistance on technical matters.
Girod said Monday the examination reviewed several records to determine whether there is anything the university should be concerned about and found nothing.
The latest federal indictment in the wider investigation alleges that a former Adidas executive paid a mother and a guardian of two basketball players at least $130,000 to ensure they would play for the Jayhawks. No Kansas officials were implicated.
”We have gone back to look at anything we have access to, and we can’t find any evidence of that,” Girod said. ”But we don’t have access to everything. That is all we really can do – make sure that on our side of the house we are doing everything appropriately and properly.”
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More AP college basketball: https://collegebasketball.ap.org
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Information from: Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com
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