(A
version of this essay appeared in New York Times: Room for Debate)
The travesty of the Penn State/Sandusky-gate speaks loudly
to institutional power and the culture of protection, cover-up, and secrecy
that prevails in college athletics, specifically, and university administrations,
in general. The severity of Sandusky’s offenses goes beyond the reach of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) ability or need to take
action against Penn State football program for the following reasons:
·
Sandusky was found guilty in a court of
law and will be sentenced to time in prison. Any additional criminal charges of
neglect by university administrators should also be addressed by the court of
law.
·
According to President of the NCAA,
Mark Emmert, the mission of the NCAA “is to be an integral part of higher
education and to focus on the development of our student athletes.”[1]
Any penalty administered by the NCAA against the Penn State Football program will
undoubtedly and adversely impact the athletes they are concern with developing.
Since no athletes were implicated in these charges, penalizing the football
team or other athletic teams would only result in penalizing the innocent.
·
Lastly, although the public perception
regarding the power of the NCAA may be distorted, the institutional neglect
that occurred at Penn State reached beyond the athletic department, and since a Penn State University employee, who had access to university property
and the opportunity to violate young boys, the University should be held
liable. Effectively addressing this institutional neglect is far beyond the
reach of the “power” of the NCAA.
Efforts of the NCAA should be in addressing the organizational
culture of the athletic departments they oversee that allow good and bad men to
behave badly where criminal behavior occurs and is protected. Fostering
transparency and addressing the athletic privilege that is abused within these
athletic departments should be a priority in the NCAA’s mission of focusing on
the development of student athletes.
Additional collaborative efforts by the NCAA and the University/University System should take the following into consideration:
1). They should provide assistance (counseling services, etc.; fine the athletic department to cover the tab) to the victims, remove Paterno's statue from on campus and his name from all buildings on campus (regardless of his donations), remove his statue, disavow Paterno's & Sandusky's athletic accomplishments from the time of the first offense, etc.
2). The above suggestions are tolerable given the commercial interests of both of the NCAA and University. Keep in mind that the NCAA's primary role is as an advisory board that governs its members, but it has evolved into a corporate enterprise that now manages the commercial interests and expansion of its members. With that said, Penn State football is a major corporate enterprise: e.g., during the 2011-2012 season football revenue was $72,747,734 with expenses of $19, 519,288 - not a bad ratio. The NCAA and Big Ten will be taking this into consideration before acting irrationally by handing out a Death Penalty. I know SMU is an example, but the offenses were directly related to the TEAM and involved team members.
3) This case is unprecedented and will require unprecedented action.
[1] On the Mark: Quotes from President
Emmert on various NCAA topics. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/NCAA+President/On+the+Mark
(accessed July 16, 2012).
