Sunday, March 04, 2007

Inside the NCAA

The NY Times raises the curtain on the NCAA and its infractions process today in this story . I highly encourage you to read it as it give an inside look into a lot of things we average fans might now know and mentions the Kansas basketball program and a certain Big Ten coach to the east of us specifically.

My conclusion after reading this: Further proof that the NCAA has some serious problems.

Some highlights:

It used to be that the N.C.A.A. caught wind of a problem at a university, investigated and meted out punishment. Now, with a stretched staff and member institutions often feeling wary of the enforcement process, outside firms have become the nexus for law and order in college sports.

***

David Price, the N.C.A.A.’s vice president for enforcement services, acknowledged that many athletic programs continued to bend, if not outright break, the rules. And his staff, which has nearly doubled in the past few years, cannot hope to catch them all. The N.C.A.A. does not have subpoena power, and it must get all information on the record to build a case.

“We’re certainly very busy, but I also think the N.C.A.A. membership doesn’t want a police state,” he said.

***

Mr. Ridpath said the N.C.A.A. enforcement staff has used heavy-handed tactics to force cooperation. “I’ve seen them threaten people’s careers, badger them to get the answers they want, belittle them and make people cry,” he said.

He also said he saw how lawyers specializing in N.C.A.A. matters operated. Marshall hired an Ice Miller partner at the time, Richard R. Hilliard, who was once the N.C.A.A.’s director of enforcement.

“They are very adept at how to satisfy the committee to minimize the damage to their high-paying client,” Mr. Ridpath said. “They have no problem advising their clients to sacrifice someone lower on the totem pole. You never see a high-profile coach or administrator losing their job.”

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# posted by Chief : 7:23 PM


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