New twist in FBI probe may put Brian Bowen's eligibility in Louisville's hands

Bowen is a step closer to potentially playing this season, pending the NCAA's outlook on his situation

The FBI is turning Brian Bowen's college basketball future over to Louisville. The school now will begin its own investigation into the eligibility of the former five-star prospect whose nefarious recruitment process ultimately led to Rick Pitino being fired.

Department of Justice documents alleged that Bowen was involved in a deal in which a Louisville coach assisted in funneling $100,000 to his family in return for his commitment to the school and subsequent signing. During the FBI probe, Louisville was not allowed to conduct its own investigation. But according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Bowen now potentially could re-establish his eligibility with the Cardinals.

"Brian (Jr.) was not aware of any of the alleged activities, and it is our position that he has not violated any NCAA rules or bylaws," Bowen's attorney Jason Setchen said. "It's a fundamental aspect of being an American that we are not held responsible for the actions of other people and we have a right to associate. It is unfair to Brian or any student-athlete to try and punish them for actions of others who are not in their control."

Furthermore, the Courier-Journal reported that a university spokesman confirmed Bowen's still enrolled at Louisville, but it's unclear if he is under suspension or has been declared ineligible. If it's the latter, the NCAA, not Louisville, will determine if a reinstatement is worthy in this case. If not, in theory, Louisville could reinstate him independently.

Despite the FBI's clearance, though, it's indisputable based off DOJ records that a Louisville assistant was, at the very least, involved in a big-money deal designed to get Bowen to enroll with the Cardinals. So no matter how you look at it, NCAA rules were broken in a pay-for-play scheme to get him on campus. That makes reinstatement risky if you're Louisville, which could risk vacating wins should he play, and extremely unlikely if the NCAA has a say in the matter.

Bowen's attorney says he believes his client will be given a fair opportunity to be re-instated at some point by the school, which Atlanta-based attorney Stuart Brown echoed.

"I would suspect the young man would get reinstated with some repayment and community service stipulations and some meaningful withholding (from competition), but certainly not a whole season," Brown said. "That's presuming that the institution decides that a violation occurred."

Bowen was a five-star prospect in the Class of 2017 rated as the No. 19 overall prospect in his class, who picked Louisville over a number of other major schools including Michigan State and Arizona, among others.