The Big Lead

Baylor Football Hit With Notice of Allegations, Including Lack of Institutional Control

By Ryan Phillips

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Baylor football could be headed for more trouble. On Monday night the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the program was hit with a notice of allegations by the NCAA and the details are going to be ugly.

The NCAA has reportedly completed its investigation into Baylor and former head coach Art Briles is among those alleged to have committed infractions. The program has also been hit with the dreaded “lack of institutional control” label, which has traditionally been the most severe ruling the NCAA can make.

The investigation was launched due to the university’s handling of sexual assaults, alleged sexual assaults and other incidents involving students and members of the football program dating back nearly a decade. Baylor’s inaction in this area has led to the filing of at least 10 Title IX lawsuits.

Briles, athletic director Ian McCaw and the school’s president, Ken Starr, were all ousted after the scandal came to light. That said, the football program has not faced any major discipline.

While the main players in the scandal are gone, some have moved on to other programs and could potentially face sanctions for their role in it. Most notably Art Briles’ son, Kendal Briles, is a rising star in the coaching world. He’s currently the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston but was at Baylor from 2008 through 2016.

Art Briles was fired in mid-2016 after the scandal came to light, and Matt Rhule was hired to replace him later that year. Briles has repeatedly maintained that he was a scapegoat for the entire scandal and believed the school’s board of regents targeted him and his fellow coaches. He claims the school’s administrators and the Baylor Police Department were the ones covering up the assaults.

The NCAA opened its investigation into Baylor in 2017 and the notice of allegations was reportedly submitted three weeks ago. The school must respond within 90 days, then the NCAA will have 60 days to reply.