CHAMPAIGN — Complaints about Coach Brad Underwood's language and treatment of men's basketball players prompted an internal investigation by the University of Illinois last summer, but it concluded the accusations were unfounded or did not violate UI policies.
Two faculty members of an athletic oversight committee later received a similar complaint, however, and argued that the accusations called for an outside investigation — like the one conducted in 2015 following allegations of player mistreatment in the UI football and women's basketball programs.
Athletic director Josh Whitman said comparisons to 2015 are "misplaced" and defended the UI's review, saying it followed standard protocols and was led by two faculty representatives and the department's chief integrity officer, Ryan Squire, who worked with the chancellor's office and campus legal counsel.