Overview
- The NCAA announced Friday that Ole Miss men's basketball will serve two years of probation, pay a $455,000 fine and face recruiting restrictions after finding tampering and related compliance failures.
- Investigators found former assistant Wes Flanigan made 16 phone calls and sent 10 texts to a player's advisor before the player entered the transfer portal, leading to a one-year show-cause order and other personal penalties for Flanigan.
- The ruling required Ole Miss to disassociate an unnamed booster tied to a 2017 infractions order after finding the booster received benefits 18 times totaling about $109,420.
- Several program penalties were applied retroactively during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 academic years, and the school must complete compliance and education steps including rules-seminar attendance by the athletic director and an Athletic Foundation official.
- The decision underscores that NCAA rules bar recruiting contact with players or their advisors before a portal entry, and a show-cause order can limit a coach’s future employment by requiring schools to justify any hiring.