I actually think I could get over the crime(s) as far as my fandom was concerned so long as the UK Board of
Trustees went scoarched earth on all involved (which they undoubtedly would). There would be alumni converging on the administration building if anything remotely close to UofL's audit findings was happening up there.
Therein lies the difference between the two universities. I mean, Pitino doesn't survive the Sypher ordeal in Lexington IMO.
That's the key. Even a mid-major without football has 100 or so people working for it in some capacity, not to mention 300 or so student-athletes... which means, there's a pretty good chance that there's *somebody* associated with most departments who is more than capable of doing something really stupid or shitty. That's why the "Carolina Way" posturing always made me laugh. Athletic departments are groups of fairly random people, not some magical place where values and morals are immediately impressed upon you as you walk through the door.
I'd guess there's a lot of schools in DI where something shady has happened, but it went un-caught and un-punished. But when you do get caught... caught to the point where you WILLINGLY SAT OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT, you probably shouldn't stomp your feet like children because the rules actually apply to you too.
The situation itself is appalling, obviously, but the reaction of the people in charge would be the deal-breaker for me.