LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Adidas is asking a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit by Rick Pitino, claiming the former Louisville basketball coach knew about the pay-for-play scheme.
In response to Pitino's lawsuit, Adidas claims the fired coach was aware of and supported the scheme to direct payments to the families of basketball recruits.
Pitino is not named in any criminal complaint, and he denies any knowledge of the alleged bribery. He filed suit against Adidas after the company severed ties with him in the wake of the scandal.
Adidas says "The court should reject Pitino's effort to use the lawsuit as a platform for airing grievances and rehabilitating his reputation."
Adidas wants the case dismissed or sent to arbitration. The company also wants the jurisdiction of the suit moved to Oregon, where Adidas is headquartered.
Rick Pitino's lawyer says the Adidas motion to dismiss the lawsuit cites no new facts, and any suggestion by Adidas that Coach Pitino knew or should have known of the payments to any recruit is totally false and misleading.
Attorney Steve Pence says Adidas has attempted to avoid accountability and deflect attention away from its own misconduct and that of its employees.
Pence says the guilty parties at Adidas will eventually be held accountable for their conduct -- whether in federal court in Kentucky or another forum.