photo by: Nick Krug

A rack of NCAA basketballs sit inside an empty Allen Fieldhouse before the Jayhawks' game against West Virginia on Dec. 22, 2020.

The University of Kansas has requested an “alternate method of resolution,” in its NCAA infractions case, and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby sent a letter of support to the body in charge of that decision.

The NCAA’s case against KU, which includes allegations of five Level 1 infractions, a charge of head coach responsibility and a tag of lack of institutional control, was accepted by the Independent Accountability Resolutions Process on July 1, 2020, nearly one year after KU received its initial notice of allegations from the NCAA in September 2019.

According to the Kansas timeline on the IARP’s site, the chief panel member of the group reviewing KU’s case provided “a determination regarding the parties’ request” on Nov. 29, 2021. The timeline did not specify whether the request for an alternate resolution was accepted.

When asked for clarification on Monday night, a KU spokesperson referred the Journal-World to NCAA Bylaw 19.01.4, which states that institutions and involved parties, including any representative or counsel, may not comment on the details or substance of any pending infractions cases.

In an effort to provide greater transparency and speed up the process, the IARP in October provided timelines for all six cases it was reviewing at the time. One of the six cases — North Carolina State’s — has since received a final ruling.

The October update on the IARP site brought KU’s case through Aug. 30, 2021. On Monday, 17 new entries — from Sept. 8, 2021 through Dec. 7, 2021 — were added.

Most were procedural, with notes indicating that a response occurred or an interview was completed. But the one dated Oct. 5, 2021 said that the Complex Case Unit “submitted proposed draft procedures for an alternative method for the resolution of the case to the chief panel member.”

According to the timeline, on that same date, the chief panel held a “status conference” to discuss deadlines and the request for an alternative method of resolution.”

In April of 2021, the NCAA announced that final rulings in all six cases on the IARP path were expected in the next 12 months.

With NC State’s case resolved, Memphis, KU, Arizona, LSU and Louisville are the five institutions with infractions cases still being reviewed by the newly formed IARP, which was created specifically to handle complex cases related to the recent FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting.

All rulings by the IARP are final and not subject to appeal, which is different from rulings handed down by the more traditional NCAA Committee on Infractions.