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Winningest college basketball programs: Kentucky reclaims throne … – Sporting News
Not a banner moment for Kansas.
The University of Kentucky and KU boast two of the winningest, most-storied men’s basketball programs in the nation. On Wednesday, the rivalry between the two programs took a new twist.
The NCAA ruled that Kansas must vacate wins because Silvio De Sousa, who was part of the 2017-18 Kansas Jayhawks team that made it to the Final Four, was ineligible. That means Kansas loses 15 wins off their record books, 15 wins that De Sousa was a part of.
In addition to losing the wins, KU must also take down its 2018 Final Four banner (because surely, that will teach them). The school also faces a three-year probation period for recruiting violations. The ruling comes after a six-year case stemming from an investigation into college basketball improprieties.
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Kansas issued a statement on the findings from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process:
Today’s decision by the Independent Resolution Panel confirms what we’ve said since the beginning: the major infractions of which we were accused were unfounded. Most importantly, the Panel decision unequivocally confirms our coaches were not involved in – or had knowledge of – payments to student-athletes.
There are no new punishments for Jayhawks head coach Bill Self, who already served a four-game suspension for his role in the recruiting violations.
All of that means that Kentucky now sits atop the throne for the most wins in Division I men’s basketball history. It’s another coup for the squad currently led by John Calipari: Kentucky leads the all-time UK-KU series 24-11, with their next meeting coming in November this year.
Anything can change over the course of a basketball season, so don’t be surprised if Kansas once again vaults to the top of the charts at some point in 2023.
With Kansas vacating 15 wins from the 2017-18 college season, Kentucky now sits atop the list of winningest men’s college basketball programs in the nation.
Only four schools have surpassed the 2,000-win mark: Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Duke. UCLA has an opportunity to reach that milestone with a solid showing this upcoming season.
Here’s a list of the top 25 ranked schools by wins in the country (as of Oct. 12, 2023):
Joe Rivera is a senior content producer at The Sporting News and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater, Rutgers University.