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Kansas files request for more than $1.3 million in restitution from men convicted in FBI scandal

Adam Spencer

By Adam Spencer

Published:

The Kansas Jayhawks were caught up in the Adidas college basketball scandal in which athletes were funneled to Adidas schools in exchange for money.

The players at the center of the controversy in Lawrence (other players were involved at other schools around the country) were Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa.

Adidas exec James Gatto, business manager Christian Dawkins and amateur league director Merl Code were convicted in the case, and now the Jayhawks want restitution. Per KUSports.com, attorney William M. Sullivan has requested that the three men pay the school more than $1.3 million to cover legal fees and the scholarships for Preston and De Sousa:

“The damage done by Mr. Gatto’s and his co-conspirators’ greed cannot be overstated,” Sullivan wrote in the letter. “Their actions have impaired the University of Kansas’s ability to continue to fully use those resources for both the benefit and welfare of its student-athletes, as well as for its ongoing mission of educational and community development and enrichment.”

Per the report, the Jayhawks aren’t the only ones asking for money, but Louisville and NC State are asking for significantly less than Kansas:

KU’s total requested restitution is $1,136,424. Similar letters of restitution requests from attorneys for the University of Louisville and North Carolina State University were also filed but involved less money. Louisville only requested restitution of about $31,000, and NC State requested about $258,000.

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, as in order to have conversations about paying players illegally, there have to be two sides at the table. Will this come back to bite Kansas, or will a judge actually grant the restitution request?

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.

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