Katina Powell to speak with NCAA next week regarding Louisville investigation

With the NCAA currently investigating allegations made by former escort Katina Powell in her book “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,” the Louisville men’s basketball program is in a position where some major penalties could be handed down in the future. However up until Thursday Powell, who at one point claimed to have reached out to the NCAA to discuss the situation, had yet to speak with the governing body of collegiate athletics.

Thursday Powell’s lawyer, Larry Wilder, stated in an interview with WDRB Louisville that his client will be meeting with the NCAA next week. News of this development was also reported by ESPN’s Outside the Lines, and it comes just three days after five women filed an amended civil complaint against Powell, Indianapolis Business Journal Book Publishing and book author Dick Cady over allegations made in the book.

The five women are arguing that they did not participate in sexual acts while entertaining recruits, their guardians and Louisville players, and that pictures of them (as well as the first names of two of the plaintiffs) were used in the book without their consent.

As for Powell’s reason for speaking with the NCAA about this situation, her attorney argued that at this point there’s no reason for her not to meet with them. This comes a short time after stating that she would speak with the NCAA in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, but the Commonwealth of Kentucky Attorney has launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

“There’s no question that she will talk to the NCAA now. There is no reason for her not to talk to the NCAA now and meet with the NCAA now and that’s gonna happen very soon. And the NCAA will have the full and absolute complete benefit of all the information and all the documentation; all the cell phones and all the journals that the Commonwealth’s Attorney now’s going to get through a subpoena,” Larry Wilder said.

Powell’s willingness to speak to the NCAA is a major development in this case for Louisville, especially if she produces records of text messages and phone calls between herself and former Louisville staffer Andre McGee. McGee, who has yet to speak on the investigation, is alleged to have paid Powell $10,000 for the arrangement that brought strippers to Billy Minardi Hall (and some are alleged to have done more than just dance for the recruits).

McGee, who played at Louisville for Rick Pitino, resigned from his position as an assistant coach at UMKC in October as a result of this ongoing investigation.