School failed to monitor athletics department when it did not disassociate booster involved in previous infractions case
Tampering violations occurred in the Ole Miss men’s basketball program when former men’s basketball assistant coach Wes Flanigan had impermissible recruiting conversations with the advisor of a student-athlete from another school who had not entered the Transfer Portal, according an agreement released by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. Men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard is responsible for the violations but did not receive any penalties because he demonstrated that he was not aware of the violations and that he promoted compliance.
Additionally, the school failed to monitor its athletics program when it did not disassociate a booster involved in its previous infractions case as required by the penalties in the Committee on Infractions’ 2017 decision.
The school, Flanigan, Beard and enforcement staff agreed that the violations in this case occurred after Flanigan knowingly communicated with a known advisor to a student-athlete at another school who was not in the NCAA Transfer Portal. In total, Flanigan spoke on the phone with the advisor 16 times and sent 10 text messages. In those communications, Flanigan and the advisor spoke about the student-athlete, but the student-athlete ― who subsequently was entered into the Transfer Portal ― did not visit Ole Miss, did not receive an offer of an athletics scholarship and ultimately transferred to another school.
The parties also agreed that Beard was automatically responsible for the violations due to head coach responsibility legislation. However, the parties noted that he was not personally involved in the violations, was not aware of the impermissible contact and promoted an atmosphere for compliance. Thus, the parties agreed that he should not receive any penalties
The parties discovered the men’s basketball violations during a broader review of the Ole Miss athletics department that stemmed from information gained through outside legal proceedings. Specifically, the NCAA learned that the school had not actually disassociated a booster involved in the school’s 2017 infractions case. In that case, the school was ordered to disassociate the booster in question for a period of three years. The disassociation penalty prohibited Ole Miss from accepting any financial assistance from the booster or his business interests, including those that could result in the booster receiving benefits or privileges not afforded to the general public. However, during that time, the booster continued to contribute to the athletics foundation on 18 occasions ― totaling $109,240 ― and received premium seating at Ole Miss games.
The enforcement staff and the school did not conclude that any individual athletics department staff member knowingly violated the requirements of the disassociation penalty; however, the parties agreed that the school did not monitor its athletics department as a result of the violations.
This case was resolved through the negotiated resolution process. The process was used instead of a formal hearing or summary disposition because the university, coaches and enforcement staff agreed on the violations and the penalties. The Division I Committee on Infractions reviewed the case to determine whether the resolution was in the best interests of the Association and whether the agreed-upon penalties were reasonable. Negotiated resolutions may not be appealed and do not set case precedent for other infractions cases.
The parties used ranges identified by the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to agree upon Level I-mitigated penalties for the university and Level II-mitigated penalties for Flanigan. The decision contains the full list of penalties as approved by the Committee on Infractions, including:
- Two years of probation.
- A $455,000 fine.
- A one-week ban on all recruiting communications for the men’s basketball program, served during the 2025-26 academic year.
- A one-week prohibition on unofficial and official visits for the men’s basketball program, served during the 2024-25 academic year.
- A one-week prohibition on all recruiting communications for Flanigan, served during the 2024-25 academic year.
- A reduction by five in recruiting-person days for the men’s basketball program served during the 2024-25 academic year.
- A one-year show-cause order for Flanigan, including a suspension and recruiting communication restrictions. The suspension was served in December 2025 and recruiting restrictions were served in the 2024-25 academic year.
- A two-game suspension for Flanigan, served from Dec. 13-17, 2025.
- Disassociation of the booster for two years.
- The athletics director and a senior member of the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation were required to attend the 2026 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar.
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from the NCAA membership and public. The panel members who reviewed this case are Jill Redmond, deputy commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference and chief hearing officer for the panel; Roderick Perry, former athletics director at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; and Doug Archie, executive associate athletics director for compliance at Ohio State.
