Three people with knowledge of the investigation say the NCAA infractions committee panel handling North Carolina's multi-year academic case plans to release its ruling Friday.

The people say the NCAA notified parties involved in the case Thursday morning. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the school nor the NCAA have commented publicly on the release.

The ruling comes roughly eight weeks after UNC appeared before the panel in August in Nashville, Tennessee, for a two-day hearing. The school faces five top-level charges, including lack of institutional control.

The oft-delayed case is focused on years of irregular courses in a department requiring a research paper or two. Those courses typically offered high grades and featured significant athlete enrollments.

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