Memphis receives 2-year probation, fine from NCAA due to academic integrity violations
The punishments were handed down after the NCAA determined former academic counselor Leslie Brooks paid two softball student-athletes to complete course work and provide quiz and test answers to a player on the men's basketball team.
One softball player was paid $150 for completing three assignments for the men's basketball player. Another was given $400 after giving Brooks the answers to five tests and four quizzes, and directly giving the player answers to two additional tests and one additional quiz.
As a result of those findings, the school was placed on two years of probation, and received a fine of $30,000. The university was also fined one percent of the combined men's basketball and softball budgets.
Brooks was hired by the university in 2023. In January and February of 2024, Brooks arranged for the two softball players to start providing coursework and test and quiz answers for the men's basketball player. Brooks wound up paying both students through Apple Pay.
The violations were discovered after a member of the softball team reported them to a softball trainer and the team's head coach. Memphis' then-softball head coach reported the violations, sparking an internal investigation.
Brooks admitted to the violations, saying she felt bad for the men's basketball player. She also acknowledged what she did was against NCAA rules.
Following the internal investigation, the NCAA enforcement staff got involved. While Brooks answered calls and emails from the enforcement staff, she refused an interview. The NCAA considers Brooks a "non-participating party" in its investigation.
Brooks, who was fired by Memphis in February of 2024, received a 10-year show-cause order for her involvement in the scandal. If she is employed by an NCAA member during that period, Brooks cannot participate in any athletically related activities during her show-cause period.
The school will also vacate all records for the games in which the men's basketball player competed while he was ineligible. It's believed the student-athlete competed in 20 contests while ineligible.
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