Cardinals accused of hiring escorts

Louisville said Friday it has launched an investigation into allegations that former Cardinals staffer Andre McGee paid an escort service to provide sex for recruits.

The allegations by Katina Powell are in an upcoming book, “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,” from a publishing arm of the Indianapolis Business Journal. Some details of the book were published on the Journal’s website, and said that McGee hired Powell to provide strippers and prostitutes for recruits and some of their fathers during a four-year period.

Louisville said it learned of the allegations in August and immediately notified the NCAA. McGee left Louisville in 2014 to become an assistant at MissouriKansas City. That school put McGee on paid leave Friday night and said it was taking the allegations seriously.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said the situation caused sleeplessness when he first found out and said that he tried to conduct his own investigation before being rebuffed by the school’s compliance office. He said McGee denied the allegations during a brief conversation.

UCF starting quarterback Justin Holman has been cleared to play at Tulane on Saturday, but his injured finger still isn’t at full strength and freshman Bo Schneider is expected to start for the Knights. Kickoff is at noon and the game will air ESPNews.