NCAA hands out punishment to Memphis for academic violations

A general view of the court at FedExForum during the first half of the game between the Memphis Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers. Justin Ford-Imagn Images

NCAA hands out punishment to Memphis for academic integrity violations

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 3:04 PM ET

Memphis basketball head coach Penny Hardaway is going to find his program behind the eight ball as a result of punishments recently levied by the NCAA.

It's being reported that the Memphis men's basketball program is being put on a two-year probation and the university will have to pay fines due to academic integrity violations involving the men's basketball program as well as the softball program.

The NCAA concluded that an academic counselor named Leslie Brooks paid two softball student-athletes to complete coursework and provide test and quiz answers for one of the student-athletes on the men's basketball team. Ultimately, three student-athletes were deemed ineligible as a result and they competed in 20 contests between them across both sports.

The academic counselor, Brooks, paid one softball player $150 for completing three assignments for a basketball player. The second softball player was paid $400 for providing answers to multiple tests and quizzes directly to Brooks as well as to the men's basketball student-athlete.

Just in: The NCAA puts Memphis men's b-bball on two-year probation and 1% budget fine after two softball players were paid $550 to "complete coursework" for a former Memphis basketball player. The academic counselor who paid the softball players gets a 10-yr show-cause penalty. pic.twitter.com/6zwGkPAz9F
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) July 16, 2025

Brooks has received a 10-year show-cause penalty. Memphis must pay a $30,000 fine plus a fine worth one percent of the combined budgets of both the basketball and softball programs.

The NCAA also ordered the vacating the three basketball wins − against Wichita State, Temple and Tulane − that occurred while the ineligible player was participating.

While the NCAA did not mention any names, Jason Munz of the "Commercial Appeal" is reporting that the violations involve former men's basketball player Malcolm Dandridge and softball players Ally Callahan and Aaliyah Dixon.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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