ESPN has filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents seeking the release of the school’s NCAA Notice of Allegations with regard to the infractions case against its men’s basketball program.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, the lawsuit seeks immediate access to the NOA from the school, as well as reimbursement of ESPN’s legal fees after the news organization’s multiple failed attempts at gaining access to the document. The Star has also filed numerous requests to view the NOA, which have been rebuffed by the school — which said in response to records requests that it was not in “the best interests of the state” to release the document. The Star has not filed a lawsuit.
The NOA, which the NCAA handed down in October, reportedly contains five level one allegations — the most serious tier of infraction — amid a total of nine allegations.
The school has requested that its case be adjudicated via the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Arizona has also self-imposed a one-year post-season ban, indicating that the school considered that to be the minimum penalty the NCAA would ultimately impose.
The lawsuit was filed in Arizona Superior Court in Maricopa County.
