The University of Arizona’s request to put their infractions case through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) was recently approved by the Infractions Referral Committee, the NCAA announced on Thursday.
According to the NCAA, “the Independent Accountability Resolution Process is comprised of independent investigators, advocates and adjudicators who are responsible for reviewing select infractions cases in Division I. The IARP was created in response to recommendations issued by the Commission on College Basketball,” which was chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State condoleezza Rice.
In layman’s terms, the IARP exists to address cases in collegiate athletics that potentially violate core NCAA values, including neglecting the importance of academics in the student-athlete experience, disregarding the overall well-being of student-athletes, or exhibiting any actions that contradict the cooperative principles that characterize the existing infractions process.
This process was created over concerns that the members institutions that make up and govern the NCAA could not be trusted to also self-police, self-sanction, and sanction other institutions. For schools requesting the IARP the hope is that the more independent process will lead to more consistency and fairness in the process.
Until the Independent Resolution Panel has made a decision in regards to this matter, the details of the IARP will remain confidential. There is no appeal from an IARP decision.
Other schools, including NC State, Kansas, and Louisville have gone through the relatively-new IARP process. Other schools that have used the process to resolves issues similar to those faced by the Arizona basketball program have done so to skirt the NCAA Committee on Infraction’s assertion that the sports apparel companies are “boosters,” hoping that the IARP will agree that the schools can’t control the actions of their sponsors.
This piece of news is the latest development in an infractions case against the University of Arizona athletics department, and in particular against the basketball program. Sean Miller, the head coach of the men’s basketball program at Arizona, is facing several charges, including allegedly paying large sums of money to prospective student-athletes and high school coaches and bribing college officials to help direct athletes to specific agents.
Miller is not the only coach facing charges, however.
Another Arizona head coach facing charges as part of the case is the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach, Augie Busch. No information has yet been made available as to why Busch is facing these charges, however it appears that these charges may be related to what the NCAA has described as a “lack of head coach control.”
Arizona has not responded to SwimSwam’s request for more information on this matter.
I take it the IRAP process can also be used to verify or justify an institions actions: such as firing a coach, or other staff along with internal corrective masures already taken?