The NCAA is punishing head coach Penny Hardaway and the Memphis basketball program for academic fraud, according to a report by NBC Sports insider Nicole Auerbach.
They will have to deal with a two-year probation and a $30,000 fine. On top of that, they will be fined 1% of the combined budgets of the softball and basketball programs.
Apparently, two players from the softball teams provided test answers to players from the basketball team. To add insult to injury, the NCAA called for a vacation of all the records of games in which those athletes played, as they’re now ineligible.
Memphis slammed with punishment over softball team violation
“Memphis is hit with two-year probation + fine for academic fraud. An academic counselor paid softball players to do coursework and/or provide test/quiz answers for men’s basketball players,” Auerbach wrote on X.
Penny Hardaway
The two players, Ally Callahan and Aaliyah Dixon, were reportedly paid to complete coursework for former basketball player Malcolm Dandridge. That will lead to the vacation of 20 combined games in which the two softball players and the basketball player competed.
This isn’t the first time that Hardaway has dealt with this type of stuff, as he also faced trouble in 2022 due to multiple violations regarding the recruiting of James Wiseman.
