NCAA maintains Rick Pitino did not properly monitor Louisville program

Rick Pitino is still in hot water with the NCAA.

The Louisville coach and the university appealedto lift the Level I violation stemming from the sex worker scandal that has rocked the basketball program, but were rejected,ESPN.com reported.

The NCAA stands firm that Pitino did not monitor his team and players properly, which resulted in former assistant Andre McGree allegedly hiring adult entertainment on multiple occasions to perform sexual favors for recruits in one of the Louisville dormitories.

According to the NCAA, Pitino didn't regularly check on his players norquestion his staff properly, which resulted in McGee getting away with the parties. The organization said instead Pitinohad other assistants keep an eye on players and recruits.

"You cannot completely delegate responsibility,'' the NCAA said in documents obtained by ESPN.

However, the university continues to back Pitino and reiterate McGee's actions were an outlying operation.

"We continue to regret that NCAA legislation was violated by a former UofL employee. His behavior was shameful and wrong. This behavior is the reason we self-imposed severe penalties on ourselves," the school said in astatement issued Thursday. "In this latest correspondence, the NCAA Enforcement Staff's Response reiterates its previous position and, in fact, makes clear that the allegation does not state that Coach Pitino should have detected or known about the violations.

"We have faith in the NCAA process and look forward to demonstrating at the hearing that Coach Pitino has properly monitored his staff."

Pitino is facing a multiple-game suspension if he's punished to the fullest extend un the Level I violation.