The 30 biggest college basketball scandals of all time

13 of 31

LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 1980: Head coach Larry Brown of the UCLA Bruins signals from the sideline during a college basketball game at Pauley Pavilion circa 1980 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

19. UCLA vacates it’s trip to the 1980 Final Four

The Bruins became a legendary team under head coach John Wooden, winning 10 national championships before he retired, and they were poised for another in 1980.

Now coached by Larry Brown, the Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament as an 8-seed and made a stunning run to the Final Four. The baby Bruins, who were buoyed by a freshman-heavy lineup, ended up losing to Louisville by five in the national championship game.

That year quickly came under intense scrutiny, however, after reports surfaced of multiple rules violations. The NCAA began to investigate and quickly hit UCLA with a bevy of sanctions, including a postseason ban in 1982 and vacating the 1980 runner-up appearance.

The rules violations were mostly financial in nature, including the arrangement for four freshmen to get late-model cars. UCLA also provided meals and entertainment for recruits and their families, helping a player sell complimentary basketball tickets for higher than face value, and arranging to house players with reduced rent.

Individually each offense doesn’t seem terrible but combined it promoted an air of widespread corruption at UCLA under Brown. That would be nothing new for Brown, who developed a reputation of winning and leaving scandal in his wake.