NCAA suspends Louisville' Pitino after escort investigation

(AP) — The NCAA has suspended Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino for five Atlantic Coast Conference games following its sex scandal investigation.

The governing body also handed down other penalties Thursday, including placing the basketball program on four years' probation, vacating wins in which ineligible players participated and issuing a 10-year show-cause order for former basketball operations director Andre McGee.

The NCAA's release included statements by the panel on its decision, saying: "The types of activities that occurred in this case were repugnant and threaten the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Model, regardless."

The NCAA also said, "Without dispute, NCAA rules do not allow institutional staff members to arrange for stripteases and sex acts for prospects, enrolled student-athletes and/or those who accompany them to campus."

Other penalties prescribed by the panel also include men's basketball scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions; a fine of $5,000, plus the university must return money received through conference revenue sharing for its appearances in the 2012 to 2015 NCAA men's basketball championships.

"The former operations director, the individual entrusted to keep order at Minardi Hall, created an environment that has no place on a college campus and was directly at odds with college athletics and higher education," the panel said.

Veteran Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and SMU's Larry Brown were each suspended for nine games in the 2015-16 season for infractions, related to both failing to keep track of how their players were receiving academics help.

Louisville self-imposed several sanctions last year, including a postseason ban along with reducing scholarships and recruiting visits by assistant coaches.