Not a banner moment for Kansas.
The University of Kentucky and KU boast two of the winningest, most-storied men's basketball programs in the nation. On Wednesday, the rivalry between the two programs took a new twist.
The NCAA ruled that Kansas must vacate wins because Silvio De Sousa, who was part of the 2017-18 Kansas Jayhawks team that made it to the Final Four, was ineligible. That means Kansas loses 15 wins off their record books, 15 wins that De Sousa was a part of.
In addition to losing the wins, KU must also take down its 2018 Final Four banner (because surely, that will teach them). The school also faces a three-year probation period for recruiting violations. The ruling comes after a six-year case stemming from an investigation into college basketball improprieties.
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Kansas issued a statement on the findings from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process:
Today’s decision by the Independent Resolution Panel confirms what we’ve said since the beginning: the major infractions of which we were accused were unfounded. Most importantly, the Panel decision unequivocally confirms our coaches were not involved in – or had knowledge of – payments to student-athletes.
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There are no new punishments for Jayhawks head coach Bill Self, who already served a four-game suspension for his role in the recruiting violations.
All of that means that Kentucky now sits atop the throne for the most wins in Division I men's basketball history. It's another coup for the squad currently led by John Calipari: Kentucky leads the all-time UK-KU series 24-11, with their next meeting coming in November this year.
Anything can change over the course of a basketball season, so don't be surprised if Kansas once again vaults to the top of the charts at some point in 2023.
Winningest college basketball programs
With Kansas vacating 15 wins from the 2017-18 college season, Kentucky now sits atop the list of winningest men's college basketball programs in the nation.
Only four schools have surpassed the 2,000-win mark: Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Duke. UCLA has an opportunity to reach that milestone with a solid showing this upcoming season.
Here's a list of the top 25 ranked schools by wins in the country (as of Oct. 12, 2023):
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1 | Kentucky | 2,377-748-1 |
| 2 | Kansas | 2,370-900 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 2,343-852 |
| 4 | Duke | 2,273-920 |
| 5 | UCLA | 1,986-888 |
| 6 | Temple | 1,977-1,137 |
| 7 | Syracuse | 1,973-964 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 1,950-1,089 |
| 9 | St. John's | 1,922-1,085 |
| 10 | Indiana | 1,913-1,102 |
| 11 | Purdue | 1,895-1,075 |
| 12 | Cincinnati | 1,889-1,064 |
| 13 | Texas | 1,879-,1,125 |
| 14 | Illinois | 1,878-1,052 |
| 15 | Utah | 1,875-1,067 |
| 16 | Western Kentucky | 1,872-973 |
| 17 | BYU | 1,869-1,134 |
| 18 | Villanova | 1,864-973 |
| 19 | Arizona | 1,862-977 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,846-1,152 |
| 21 | Washington | 1,843-1,255 |
| 22 | Penn | 1,836-1,151 |
| 23 | Michigan State | 1,811-1,141 |
| 24 | Princeton | 1,799-1,012 |
| 25 | UConn | 1,797-1,417 |