RALEIGH, N.C. _ Expressing concerns that it cannot receive "an objective or fair hearing" before the NCAA's Council on Infractions, N.C. State on Wednesday "reluctantly" agreed to let its infractions case be moved to the NCAA's new independent resolutions process.
The chairperson of the NCAA infractions committee suggested in February that the case be handled by the new process, and N.C. State's response argued that even that referral "prejudges" N.C. State on several allegations stemming from the recruitment of Dennis Smith Jr. and testimony given during the Federal trials arising from a FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.
"We've stated throughout this process that N.C. State will accept accountability for any shortcomings and defend ourselves aggressively where we feel it is appropriate and necessary to do so," N.C. State chancellor Randy Woodson said in a statement. "As our response to the Referral Petition demonstrates, we do not think N.C. State can receive an objective or fair hearing before the Committee on Infractions in this matter. We believe the only remaining option is that our case be moved to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process.
"N.C. State has a long history of working cooperatively with the NCAA, and we remain committed to working collaboratively through the IARP to address concerns and to resolve this matter as fairly and efficiently as possible."
N.C. State was officially charged with two Level I violations relating to Smith, former head coach Mark Gottfried and former assistant coach Orlando Early in July 2019. The university responded to the notice of allegations in December, and in February the NCAA responded in turn by asking the case be referred to the IARP.
N.C. State, in its response released Wednesday, argued that the referral itself, signed by infractions committee chair-designee Carol Cartwright, the president emerita of Bowling Green and Kent State, was so prejudicial as to make proceeding within the NCAA system impossible, even if the university did not believe the case required that on its merits: "The University is left with little choice but to accede to referral to the IARP."
