An independent infractions panel handed a two-year show-cause penalty and a 10-game suspension to former LSU and current McNeese State men's basketball coach Will Wade on Thursday for multiple rules violations.
The ruling came from a panel of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) and determined Wade failed to report potential violations, provided cash payments to prevent the disclosure of potential violations and failed to cooperate with the investigation. The case also included violations tied to the Tigers' football program, leading to both programs being placed on three years of probation following previous self-imposed penalties.
The basketball case originally grew from the federal corruption investigation into college basketball, with LSU firing Wade in March 2022. He was hired by McNeese State earlier this year.
The show-cause penalty through June 2025 means Wade cannot perform any off-campus recruiting activities during April and summer evaluation periods. There are also additional recruiting restrictions against Wade, who was determined to have committed three Level I violations — considered a severe breach of conduct — that include the rule governing overall head-coach responsibility for conduct within a program.
In a statement posted to its athletics site, McNeese State said the penalty would replace a five-game suspension and one-year show-cause penalty it had imposed after Wade's hiring.
“We accept and respect today’s decision by the IARP in regards to Coach Wade,” athletics director Heath Schroyer said. “We are all happy this is finally behind us and we have clarity moving forward. We have been proactive from the beginning in respecting the NCAA’s process and in regards to protecting the integrity of our institution. That will not change moving forward.
“The enthusiasm around this program is at an all-time high and we are all excited about the future of McNeese Basketball with (Wade) leading the way.”
The federal corruption investigation became public in September 2017. The cases that grew from that eventually entangled numerous schools, then notably touched Wade after 2019 reports about leaked excerpts of an FBI wiretap that captured him speaking with someone convicted of funneling illegal payments to the families of recruits.
In transcripts of the phone call, Wade discussed presenting a “strong” offer to an apparent third party who represented then-LSU player Javonte Smart.
The panel's ruling included a fine for both the men's basketball and football programs in addition to probation, vacated records and the self-imposed penalties.
The IARP was created to handle complex cases and emerged out of proposals from the 2018 commission led by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to reform the sport. It will be eliminated after completing its slate of referred cases, a move announced last summer as the NCAA attempts to modernize its infractions process and make it move more efficiently.
The IARP took on six cases, five of which — Arizona, LSU, Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina State — had ties to the federal probe. The other involved Memphis and the recruitment of one-and-done big man James Wiseman.
N.C. State was the first of those cases to push through the system and reach a ruling in December 2021, while the LSU ruling leaves only Kansas with a case still pending in the IARP.