McNeese coach Will Wade expressed that the federal investigation into illegal payments to players "ruined a lot of people's lives" and called for the NCAA to allow those affected to return to college basketball. Wade, who was previously suspended and fired by LSU, emphasized the impact on others and the changing landscape of college sports with NIL, stating that the punishments were disproportionate to current standards. Despite the challenges, he reflected on the positive aspects of his coaching journey.
The NCAA's recent handling of a cheating case involving LSU football and basketball raises questions about its ability to enforce rules and regulations in college athletics. Despite evidence of under-the-table payments and a wiretapped conversation discussing a "strong-ass offer" of cash, the NCAA largely let LSU off the hook. This calls into question the NCAA's credibility and its ability to handle more complex issues like name, image, and likeness (NIL) and roster tampering. The article suggests that deregulation and realistic plans for the future may be a better approach than relying on the NCAA's ineffective enforcement system.
LSU football has vacated all of its wins from 2012-2015, including two bowl games, due to NCAA violations. Former head coach Les Miles is now ineligible for the College Football Hall of Fame as his official record drops to 108-73. The violations were due to former offensive lineman Vadal Alexander being ineligible for his entire college career. LSU self-imposed the penalty back in 2022, and also lost eight football scholarships and two men's basketball scholarships. LSU men's basketball will also serve three years of probation, and former head coach Will Wade was handed a 10-game suspension and two-year show-cause order.
Former LSU and current McNeese State men's basketball coach Will Wade was given a 10-game suspension and a two-year show-cause order for three Level I violations, including making impermissible payments to a player's former fiancée. LSU football and men's basketball programs also received Level I and II violations for failing to monitor. Both programs were placed on three years' probation by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Wade was fired by LSU in 2022 after the school received a notice of allegations detailing five Level I violations and a Level II violation involving him.
The NCAA's Independent Resolution Panel has placed LSU's men's basketball and football programs on probation for three years due to potential recruiting violations. Former LSU men's basketball coach Will Wade has been given a two-year show-cause order and a 10-game suspension as the new coach at McNeese State. The university's self-imposed penalties include a scholarship reduction for the men's basketball program and a postseason ban for the football program. LSU fired Wade in March 2022 after the program received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, and the Tigers hired Murray State coach Matt McMahon to replace him.
Former LSU men's basketball coach Will Wade has been given a two-year show-cause order and a 10-game suspension at his new school, McNeese State, for multiple NCAA Level I violation allegations dating back to 2017. Wade was cited for failing to report potential NCAA violations, providing impermissible cash payments, and failing to cooperate with the infractions investigation. The LSU football program was also penalized for violations totaling $180,150 that involved former LSU lineman Vadal Alexander. Each program is on probation for the next three years, and neither was assessed a lack of institutional control charge, though both were hit with failure-to-monitor charges.
The NCAA has imposed penalties on LSU and its former men's basketball coach Will Wade, including a two-year show-cause penalty for Wade, a 10-game suspension, and three-year probation periods for both the men's basketball team and the football program. The penalties stem from the FBI's investigation into the program, which found eight Level I violations, including payments to middlemen for recruiting and impermissible contact with a recruit. Wade is currently serving his punishment as head coach at McNeese State, while LSU has hired Matt McMahon to replace him.
The NCAA's Independent Accountability Resolution Panel has handed down its ruling on LSU's four-year infractions case regarding alleged recruiting violations within the men's basketball and football programs. Former Tigers basketball coach Will Wade was given a 10-game suspension and two-year show-cause order, while LSU's men's basketball and football programs are both on probation for three years. The football team also vacated every win in which former offensive lineman Vadal Alexander played in between the 2012 and 2015 seasons. LSU did not receive a postseason ban or get hit with lack of institutional control.
McNeese State's hiring of Will Wade, who is accused by the NCAA of improperly arranging payments for at least 11 recruits while coaching LSU, as their new head coach has raised questions about integrity in college basketball. Wade's hiring is just the latest example of coaches with questionable pasts being given second chances in the sport. Despite the NCAA investigation, McNeese chose to hire Wade and even imposed a mild punishment of a five-game suspension at the beginning of next season. The decision has been criticized for prioritizing winning over integrity.
McNeese State has suspended new head men's basketball coach Will Wade for five games to start the 2023-24 season amid an ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged Level I recruiting violations during his time as head coach at LSU. Wade was hired on a five-year, $1.255 million contract. McNeese State's decision is seen as a move to mitigate any further punishment from the NCAA. Wade led LSU and VCU to six NCAA Tournament appearances over seven seasons.
