It wasn't just basketball

It probably involved every single sports team, because it involved thousands of non athletes as well, over decades.

I sympathize with the NCAA when a university tells them "no, these classes met our academic standards - you're not a judge of academic standards, we are."

The NCAA can't do anything at that point because they are not, in fact, equipped to judge the academic merits of purported classes and coursework.

Perhaps it's true that SACS was never going to do anything, but that just eliminates any credibility or worth they had.

North Carolina is a fraudulent institution. This isn't about athletics or cheating - its that at the core of their mission they have no integrity.