Memphis basketball, softball committed violations, NCAA says, but Tigers avoid major penalties

(The story was updated to include new information.)

The NCAA has announced the University of Memphis committed academic integrity violations in the Tigers men’s basketball and softball programs.

Memphis worked in concert with the committee on infractions to arrive at a negotiated resolution for the violations committed during the 2023-24 season, according to a release on July 16.

Memphis − already on probation due to a pair of previous infractions cases − will have its probation extended by another two years until 2027. The men’s basketball program must also vacate three wins − Wichita State, Temple and Tulane − from the period between Jan. 25 and Feb. 18. The softball program does not have to vacate any wins because the Tigers did not win any games during that span.

Former Memphis Tiger Malcolm Dandridge (23) talks with head coach Penny Hardaway after fouling out against the Texas A&M Aggies on Dec. 10, 2023.

The school must also pay a $30,000 fine plus 1% of the combined men’s basketball and softball budgets.

The violations involve former men's basketball player Malcolm Dandridge and softball players Ally Callahan and Aaliyah Dixon, sources told The Commercial Appeal. The sources requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Former academic advisor Leslie Brooks also was involved, according to the NCAA's report, which did not identify Dandridge or the softball players.

Memphis fired Brooks, who was also the school’s academic advisor for men’s and women’s golf, on Feb. 23, 2024. The following day, it was announced Dandridge was being withheld from competition pending a review of a potential issue related to his eligibility status, which effectively ended his Tigers career.

Brooks has received a 10-year show-cause penalty.

"I would like to thank our staff who worked swiftly and collaboratively with the NCAA to take appropriate action and implement corrective measures," Memphis president Bill Hardgrave said in a prepared statement. "The University of Memphis is committed to a culture of compliance with all NCAA rules and will move our program forward accordingly."

What NCAA says took place at Memphis in 2024

According to the NCAA, Brooks arranged for and paid Callahan and Dixon to complete assignments and take tests for Dandridge, who then submitted them as his own. The NCAA found that Brooks paid either Callahan or Dixon $150 for an assignment for Dandridge’s Intro to Theatre course. It also found that Brooks paid either Callahan or Dixon $400 to take three tests for Dandridge as part of a Health/Sport Terminology course.

The NCAA's full report on the investigation indicates Callahan and Dixon were "hesitant" but agreed to participate since Brooks told them they would be paid. Records show Brooks paid Callahan and Dixon via her personal Apple Pay account.

Callahan, a catcher from Hernando, Mississippi, appeared in four games before the athletic department began taking steps to address the situation. Callahan, who had two seasons of eligibility remaining, did not play another game for the Tigers.

Dixon, an outfielder from Jackson, Mississippi, appeared in nine of the Tigers’ first 10 games. The outfielder then missed the next 29 games, beginning Feb. 24 – the day after Brooks was fired. Dixon returned to the field April 19 and played in the team’s final 11 games.

According to the NCAA's report, either Callahan or Dixon completed three assignments for Dandridge in January 2024, before ending her involvement, "because she believed Brooks did not adequately compensate her."

Dandridge, a 6-foot-10 center, remained a member of the basketball team, sitting on the bench during the final five games. The Tigers went 3-2 during that stretch but missed the NCAA tournament. It’s the only time in the last four seasons Memphis has not been part of March Madness.

In an interview with university officials, who conducted an internal investigation of their own, Brooks said Dandridge needed academic help and "she felt sorry for him," according to the NCAA's report.

Upon turning the matter over to the NCAA, Brooks responded to calls and emails from the enforcement staff, but "she did not agree to requests for an interview ... making her a non-participating party," according to the report.

Dandridge’s only public comment on the matter came on March 14, 2024, shortly after the Tigers’ season-ending loss to Wichita State at the AAC tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.

"I hope them punks that wasn’t letting me play satisfied," he posted on Instagram. "The truth will come out! Be careful who you allow yourself to be around, them snakes will smile and say they love you, and stab the (expletive) out of you."

This is not Memphis' first brush with NCAA investigators since Penny Hardaway became coach.

In 2022, following a years-long infractions investigation, the program was charged with committing four Level II violations and five Level III violations during a saga that began with its handling of James Wiseman's eligibility status in 2019. While the NCAA's initial notice of allegations identified at least four Level I violations (the most serious), Memphis and Hardaway avoided significant sanctions − although, the program was placed on three years' probation.

In 2023, Hardaway got a three-game suspension, which he served during the 2023-24 season, stemming from two impermissible in-home visits in 2021 with a recruit from Dallas during his junior year of high school. The NCAA also added an extra year of probation.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.