How does the NCAA encourage collegiate football programs to develop a culture of ethics and compliance?
It is a valid criticism that the NCAA is based more on compliance than ethical values?
How can student-athletes, coaches and university administrators demonstrate a proactive response to ethics and compliance?
1. How does the NCAA encourage collegiate football programs to develop a culture of ethics and compliance? 2. It is a valid criticism that the NCAA is based more on compliance than ethical values? 3. How can student-athletes, coaches and university administrators demonstrate a proactive response to ethics and compliance? Introduction Perhaps no sport at American colleges is as popular, or as lucrative, as college football. College football often has a significant impact on the school's culture. This is especially true for the more successful and prolific football programs, such as Texas A&M or Notre Dame. Football has increasingly become a big money maker for many colleges, with a significant amount of sports revenue coming from their football programs. Within the past two years, the sports channel ESPN made deals with certain teams to gain rights to air more games than usual. Because of this influx of revenue, the duties of coaches have evolved beyond just coaching. In many ways, they became the face of the team. Programs that show positive returns have coaches working hard to fill seats on game day and encourage college alumni to donate to the school. The more successful the football team, the more visibility it is given in the media. This visibility leads to greater awareness of the college or university among the public, and schools with the best football programs can see a greater influx of applications. The collegiate football programs have an intangible influence within and outside their immediate surroundings. This is mainly seen in their fan base, composed of current students, alumni, staff, faculty, and local businesses. For example, when the University of Alabama won its 15th national championship, the victory was celebrated by an enormous crowd, fireworks, and a parade. Texas A&M University is one example of a football program that generates not only profits but also a sense of loyalty among its fans. Texas A&M is spending over $485 million to expand its Kyle Field stadium so that it will seat up to 102,500 spectators. Table 1 shows the value of some of the most successful college-football programs. These games also help local businesses generate more revenues. Overview of NCAA The NCAA was formed in 1906 under the premise of protecting student–athletes from being endangered and exploited. The Association was established with a constitution and a set of bylaws with the ability to be amended as issues arise. As the number of competitive college sports grew, the NCAA was divided into three Divisions, I, II, and III, to deal with the rising complexity of college athletic programs. Universities are given the freedom to decide which division they want to belong to based on their desired level of competitiveness in collegiate sports. Each Division is equipped with the power to establish a group of presidents or other university officials with the authority to write and enact policies, rules, and regulations for their Divisions. Each Division is ultimately governed by the President of the NCAA and the Executive Committee. Under the Executive Committee are groups formed in each Division, such as the Legislative Committee, as well as Cabinets and Boards of Directors. In the early 1980s, questions began to arise concerning the level of education student–athletes received. Some thought these students were held to lower academic standards so they could focus more on their sport, which could be detrimental to the students' education and negatively impact future career success. As a result, the NCAA strengthened the academic requirements of student–athletes to ensure academics were taken just as seriously as athletics. It also established the Presidents Commission, composed of presidents of universities in each Division that collaboratively set agendas with the NCAA. Table 2 provides a list of six of the Principles for Conduct of Intercollegiate Athletics that can be found in Article 2 of the Constitution. Table 2 Principles for Conduct of Intercollegiate Athletics The Principle of Institutional Control and Responsibility ● Puts the responsibility for the operations and behaviors of staff on the president of the university. The Principle of Student–Athlete Well-Being ● Requires integration of athletics and education, maintaining a culturally diverse and gender equitable environment, protection of student–athlete's health and safety, creating an environment that is conducive to positive coach/student–athlete relationships, coaches and administrative staff show honesty, fairness, and openness in their relationships with student–athletes, and student–athlete involvement in decisions that will affect them. The Principle of Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct ● Maintains that respect, fairness, civility, honesty, and responsibility are values that need to be adhered to through the establishment of policies for sportsmanship and ethical conduct in the athletics program which must be consistent with the mission and goals of the university. Everyone must be continuously educated about the policies. The Principle of Sound Academic Standards ● Maintains that student–athletes need to be held to the same academic standards as all other students. The Principle of Rules Compliance ● Requires compliance with NCAA rules. Notes that the NCAA will help institutions develop their compliance program and explains the penalty for noncompliance. The Principle Governing Recruiting ● Promotes equity among prospective students and protects them from exorbitant pressures. Source: Adapted from National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2014–2015 NCAA ® Division II Manual(Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletics Association, 2014). Throughout the Constitution, the NCAA emphasizes the responsibility each university has in overseeing its athletics department and being compliant with the terms established by its conferences. The NCAA establishes principles, rules, and enforcement guidelines to both guide the universities in its oversight of the athletics department as well as penalize those schools that fail to regulate and address misconduct. In article 10 of the bylaws, a description of ethical and unethical conduct among student–athletes is provided, along with corresponding disciplinary consequences if any of the conditions are violated. Honesty and sportsmanship are emphasized as the basis of ethical conduct, while wagering, withholding information, and fraud are among the unethical behaviors listed. Article 11 describes the appropriate behavior for athletics personnel. Honesty and sportsmanship are again the basis for ethical behavior, but with an added emphasis on responsibility for NCAA regulations. Article 11 cites the Head Coach as responsible for creating an atmosphere of compliance and monitoring the behavior of his or her subordinates, including assistant coaches and players. The NCAA takes the enforcement of rules seriously and tries to ensure the penalties fit the violation if misconduct does occur. The organization also makes sure the penalties are handed down in a timely manner, not only to indicate the seriousness of the infraction but also to maintain a credible and effective enforcement program. This method tries to correct or eliminate deviant behavior while maintaining fairness and objectivity toward those members of the Association not involved in violations. Employees (coaches and other administrative staff) are exhorted to have high ethical standards since they work among and influence students. The NCAA makes it a requirement that each employee engage in exemplary conduct so as not to cause harm to the student–athletes in any way. They are also given a responsibility to cooperate with the NCAA. The NCAA lays out three types of violations and corresponding penalties, depending on the nature and scope of the violation. Secondary violations are the least severe and can result in fines, suspensions for games, and reduction in scholarships. For major violations, some of the penalties are the same as secondary violations, but the scope is far more severe. For example, suspensions will be longer and fines larger. However, some penalties are specific only to major violations, such as a public reprimand, a probationary period for up to five years, and limits on recruiting. The last type involves repeat violations that occur within a five-year period from the start date of the initial violation. The penalties for repeat violations are the most severe, including elimination of all financial aid and recruiting activities and resignation of institutional staff members who serve on boards, committees, or in cabinets. Table 3 lists some of the more prominent unethical practices the NCAA lists specifically concerning college football. Table 3 Unethical Practices Prohibited by the NCAA ● Use of the helmet as a weapon. ● Targeting and initiating contact. Players, coaches, and officials should emphasize the elimination of targeting and initiating contact against a defenseless opponent and/or with the crown of the helmet. ● Using nontherapeutic drugs in the game of football. ● Unfair use of a starting signal, called “Beating the ball.” This involves deliberately stealing an advantage from the opponent. An honest starting signal is needed, but a signal that has for its purpose starting the team a fraction of a second before the ball is put in play, in the hope that it will not be detected by the officials, is illegal. ● Feigning an injury. An injured player must be given full protection under the rules, but feigning injury is dishonest, unsportsmanlike, and contrary to the spirit of the rules. ● Talking to an opponent in any manner that is demeaning, vulgar, or abusive, intended to incite a physical response or verbally put an opponent down. ● For a coach to address, or permit anyone on his bench to address, uncomplimentary remarks to any official during the progress of a game, or to indulge in conduct that might incite players or spectators against the officials, is a violation of the rules of the game and must likewise be considered conduct unworthy of a member of the coaching profession. Source: Adapted from National Collegiate Athletics Association, Football 2013 and 2014 Rules and Interpretations (Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletics Association, 2014). The NCAA incorporates a compliance approach to ethics by developing and enforcing rules to keep the games fair and respectful of student–athletes' rights. The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct identified respect and integrity as two critical elements in the NCAA 2013 and 2014 Football Rules