Louisville allegedly paid basketball players with sex

The University of Louisville is investigating explosive allegations in a new book that claims a basketball staff member paid escorts to dance for and have sex with players and recruits, Yahoo Sports has learned.

The book alleges that over a four-year period, Powell brought women into Billy Minardi Hall – the basketball dormitory on the Louisville campus that is named after Pitino’s late brother-in-law – through a side door to entertain players and recruits. Powell also says her dancers – which included her daughters – also entertained Louisville players at other locations off campus. After the women danced for the players for an agreed-upon sum, Powell alleges that she would negotiate a second payment for the women to have sex with the athletes.

The book alleges: “At the peak of the dormitory and off-campus entertainment more than $10,000 cash changed hands to Katina for supplying the women. This does not include the hundreds of one dollar bills thrown at the dancers at each party by McGee, the recruits and players. Nor does it include the money paid to the women who had sex with the recruits afterward. So frequent were the escapades that Katina would later say, especially after the Cardinals won the 2012-2013 NCAA championship: I felt like I was part of the recruitment team. A lot of them players went to Louisville because of me.”

The book cites Powell’s diaries and journals as sources for much of the information. It also contains a handwritten page from one journal listing 19 parties for Louisville basketball and/or former Louisville star Terrance Williams.

Pitino said he spoke to McGee about the allegations and that "at no time did he own up to any of what’s being printed."