San Diego State basketball may be in trouble. The program is reportedly being investigated for potentially committing serious NCAA violations.
The investigation is not a formal one, just looking into potential violations that a source told CBS Sports could eventually be a Level 1 violation, the most serious violations the NCAA can bring against a program.
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According to the NCAA, Level 1 violations are violations “that seriously undermine or threaten the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model as set forth in the Constitution and bylaws, including any violation that provides or is intended to provide a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage, or a substantial or extensive impermissible benefit.”
SDSU officials released a statement subsequent to this report. It read: “Earlier today, San Diego State reached out to representatives of the NCAA’s enforcement staff following a media report regarding allegations involving the school’s men’s basketball program. Members of the NCAA staff confirmed for the university that they have not commenced a formal investigation. Prior to the media report today, the NCAA had not contacted any member of the university regarding an investigation into the program. San Diego State takes all potential NCAA issues seriously and will cooperate fully with the NCAA.”
It’s important to note San Diego State officials didn’t say the NCAA told them they aren’t investigating allegations of potential rules violations, only that the NCAA said it hasn’t commenced a “formal” investigation. Given the way the NCAA works, that’s unsurprising because the NCAA always investigates before launching a “formal” investigation, and, a source told CBS Sports, that’s very much the case here.
“So it’s just semantics,” a source said.
Meantime, the San Diego Union-Tribune independently reported Wednesday night that the NCAA is indeed “examining allegations of potential rules violations” by San Diego State. Whether the investigation will eventually lead to a “Letter of Inquiry” from the NCAA remains undetermined, as is always the case at this stage of an investigation.
