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The Georgia Tech men’s basketball program is in some hot water with the NCAA. On Thursday, September 26, the NCAA announced a postseason ban for the Yellow Jackets due to impermissible benefits. That means there will be no dancing for Georgia Tech next March.
The impermissible benefits reportedly involved boosters with a reported $2,000 going to players in 2016 and 2017.
“Both sets of violations occurred because men’s basketball coaching staff members invited outside individuals into their program,” the Division I Committee on Infractions panel said in a statement. “They permitted these outside individuals to interact with their student-athletes, and those actions resulted in violations.”
Along with the postseason ban that will keep the Yellow Jackets out of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, the program has received a four-year probation.
The violations reportedly occurred under current head coach Josh Pastner, who has been leading the Yellow Jackets since 2016. Pastner — who was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2017 — previously coached at Memphis. His overall head coaching record is 215-126.
A full look at the sanctions handed down by the NCAA can be seen below.
- Four years of probation.
- A 2019-20 postseason ban for the men’s basketball team.
- A fine of $5,000 plus 2% of the men’s basketball program budget.
- A reduction of one men’s basketball scholarship during each year of probation.
- Recruiting restrictions for the men’s basketball program that will apply for each year of probation, including:
- An eight-week ban on unofficial visits.
- A three-visit reduction from the permissible number of official visits.
- An eight-week ban on recruiting communications.
- A reduction of 19 recruiting-person days from the permissible number.
- A three-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach. During that period, any NCAA member school employing him must restrict him from any athletically related duties unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.
- A vacation of records in which the men’s basketball student-athletes competed while ineligible. The university must provide a written report containing the contests impacted to the NCAA media coordination and statistics staff within 14 days of the public decision release.
- A prohibition from scheduling official visits in conjunction with home men’s basketball competitions during the first two years of probation.
- Disassociations of the following individuals (self-imposed by the university):
- A three-year disassociation of the former assistant coach.
- A three-year disassociation of the former Georgia Tech men’s basketball student-athlete and booster.
- A disassociation of the head coach’s friend and booster.
Georgia Tech is currently coming off of a 14-18 campaign in 2018.
