Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

NCAA stripping Memphis of '08 Final Four appearance

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The NCAA Committee on Infractions is forcing Memphis to vacate its appearance in the 2008 Final Four, sources familiar with the case told CBSSports.com on Wednesday.

The NCAA's report will be released Thursday.

Memphis appeared before the Committee of Infractions in June and faced allegations of major infractions -- among them that Derrick Rose used a fraudulent SAT score to gain freshman eligibility, and that his brother, Reggie Rose, traveled on team charters and stayed in team hotels at no expense.

With the Final Four now officially wiped from the record books, John Calipari becomes the first coach in history to vacate Final Fours at two different schools.

  Freeman: Time for Memphis to pay the piper | Doyel: Hypocritical NCAA

The NCAA planned a news conference in Indianapolis at 4 p.m. Thursday, and Dr. Shirley Raines, president of Memphis, told the Associated Press the school will hold its own media conference shortly afterward.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner declined to comment on the reports Thursday morning, deferring to university officials.

Memphis finished 38-2 in 2007-08, setting the NCAA record for wins in a season. The Tigers lost 75-68 to Kansas in overtime in the national championship game.

Calipari, appearing at the Kentucky State Fair on Thursday, had no comment because the report had not been officially released but did say he would be "disappointed" if Memphis was stripped of its trip to the Final Four.

"We don't know anything because I'm not going to comment because I have to wait on the finding," Calipari told the Associated Press. "I would be disappointed if that's what they chose to do."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

About Gary Parrish

author photoGary Parrish is a senior college basketball columnist for CBSSports.com and frequent contributor to the CBS Sports Network. The Mississippi native also hosts the highest-rated sports talk radio show -- The Gary Parrish Show -- in the history of Memphis. He lives in that area with his wife, son and dog.
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