LEXINGTON, Ky. — The NCAA and University of Kentucky came to an agreement Friday on impermissible benefits in the football program and rules violations in the swimming program.
In a noon announcement, the NCAA said its Committee on Infractions reached an agreement with UK regarding findings and penalties. The agreed-upon violations involve at least 11 football players who received payment for work not performed between spring 2021 and March 2022.
Eight of those players went on to compete and received "actual and necessary expenses while ineligible."
Agreed upon penalties include two years of probation for the university, a fine and vacating any wins in which football players participated while ineligible. The Wildcats went 10-3 in 2021 and won the Citrus Bowl.
UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart said the school's compliance department uncovered both sets of allegations and reported them to the NCAA.
"We respect the process, we respect the decision, and we will uphold the integrity that has marked UK athletics for decades under Mitch's leadership," UK President Eli Capilouto said in a video statement.
NCAA enforcement staff and UK agreed no staff member in the athletics department knew or reasonably should have known about the payment for work that wasn't completed.
"Thus the violations involving the football program did not provide additional support for the agreed-upon failure-to-monitor violation," the release stated.
Other agreed-upon violations involve the men's and women's swimming program exceeding limits on activities when student-athletes were not given required days off. They also exceeded the maximum number of practice hours for nearly three years.
In a news release, the NCAA said it would not discuss further details "to protect the integrity of the ongoing process." The committee's final decision, including potential violations and penalties for a former coach, in still pending.
UK agreed it failed to monitor its swimming and diving program and the violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation.
You can read the NCAA's full statement here.