So this is how the N.C.A.A. saves face.
Bill Self, the Kansas men’s basketball coach, had become increasingly outspoken about the N.C.A.A.’s unjust treatment of his prized recruit, Cheick Diallo. The university had publicly released a scathing letter it wrote on Nov. 10 to Oliver Luck, the N.C.A.A.’s executive vice president, outlining the “unfounded verbal statements” and the “inadequate professional standards” of the N.C.A.A.’s investigation into Diallo’s eligibility. Jay Bilas, the ESPN analyst, had uncorked a steady stream of tough-minded tweets about the Diallo case. And, frankly, The New York Times was looking into the N.