The NCAA Committee on Infractions spent about eight hours hearing the case against the University of Hawaii men’s basketball program Thursday.
But it could be January before UH knows the results, including whether it will be subject to a postseason ban.
The closed-door hearing into allegations of violations of seven NCAA rules against UH and its former coach Gib Arnold was held before a seven-member panel presided over by Greg Christopher, Xavier University athletic director, in a Dallas hotel.
The NCAA had held open the possibility of a Friday session, but that was not necessary.
Although UH said the committee didn’t provide a timeline for announcing the decision, the school said, “A ruling is not anticipated for several months.”
People familiar with the committee’s operations said, due to the holidays, a decision might not be announced until January.
UH, which self-imposed several penalties, including a $10,000 fine, scholarship reductions and practice hours, has been hoping to avoid a postseason ban.
Rainbow Warriors forward Stefan Jankovic said, “I feel like the storm we went through was last year with Gib being fired, losing (Isaac) Fotu and all those things. I’m definitely not like the guys at SMU who have to wake up and think like, ‘We have no postseason. What are we going to do?’ I’m not thinking like that. I don’t think there’s any possibility of those kind of extremes. Then again, you never know with the NCAA.”
UH General Counsel Carrie Okinaga told reporters on Maui that Thursday’s settlement between the school and Arnold would not have a direct impact on the hearing.
“But what the settlement did enable us to do, because the proposed settlement was reached a couple of weeks ago, was allow us to focus our full attention preparing for the NCAA hearing. The ruling is not expected for another few months, and the impact of that hearing is far greater than this settlement in terms of our program and the university,” Okinaga said.
Star-Advertiser reporter Brian McInnis contributed to this report.
