North Carolina has avoided major penalties after an NCAA infractions committee panel "could not conclude" there were academic violations in the multi-year case focused on irregular courses.

The NCAA released its report Friday morning. The panel said it found only two violations out of five charges the school originally faced: a failure-to-cooperate charge against two people tied to the problem courses in the formerly named African and Afro-American Studies department.

In 2014, the Wainstein report revealed that for nearly two decades some athletes unfairly received passing grades in so called "paper courses." 

The Afro-African-American Studies department offered no-show classes which involved little work in order to keep athletes eligible to play.            

The NCAA enforcement staff levied five allegations or charges against UNC.

University leaders; however, disputed the charges.

Back in March of 2015, Syracuse University basketball lost three scholarships per year for four years after they were found in violation. Wins were also stripped from the years in which ineligible students played. And head coach Jim Boeheim was prevented from coaching the first nine conference games of the next season. 

Only two people at North Carolina ultimately received NCAA sanctions in the multi-year academic case.

Former department chairman Julius Nyang'oro and retired office administrator Deborah Crowder were charged with refusing to cooperate with the NCAA probe. Nyang'oro refused to interview with NCAA investigators after the case was reopened in 2014. Crowder reconsidered and interviewed with investigators in May.

Nyang'oro received a five-year show-cause penalty lasting until Oct. 12, 2022. Crowder was not punished, but the NCAA says it is making note of her initial lack of cooperation.