mfosterftw
9/26/2007, 09:18 AM
Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy... turn over more stones and you'll find more snakes.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: September 28, 2007
NCAA Says Infractions Cases Will Reach Record High This Year
Competitive pressures lead to more violations of rules
The National Collegiate Athletic Association expects to review more infractions than ever this year, suggesting historic problems in college sports.
The NCAA's enforcement staff, which investigates major rules violations, is on course to complete 20 infractions cases in 2007 — about a third more than last year and twice the number it handled five years ago. But the increase does not necessarily indicate a rise in serious problems in intercollegiate athletics, says David Price, the NCAA's vice president for enforcement.
"In general we're not seeing the blockbuster cases we used to see," he says. "I like to think that's because it's a much cleaner atmosphere out there."
The rise in cases is partly due to speedier investigations. The NCAA has doubled its investigative staff in recent years and cut its average inquiry time in half, to about 10 months.
Colleges have also devoted more attention to complying with rules, by adding employees to monitor potential problems and self-reporting more violations. Athletics departments reported about 3,500 minor rules violations last year, an increase of more than 50 percent from five years ago.
Mr. Price says he wants to believe that the larger compliance staffs have had a positive effect on college sports, but he has his doubts. "The realistic side of me says there is probably more going on than we know about," he says, "but we haven't been told about it or we can't get to it."
Biggest Problems
Mr. Price, who oversees 20 investigators, receives seven or eight tips a day about potential rules violations. Many of the tips are from fans trolling online message boards who have little understanding of NCAA rules, he says. His investigators pursue about one of every 15 leads.
The biggest problems tend to be in football and men's basketball, where the financial stakes are highest. In most years, more than half of the major infractions occur in those programs.
This year NCAA investigators have started keeping a closer eye on recruiting, which Mr. Price says has become "increasingly creative."
One recent trend that concerns him: More men's basketball coaches are cherry-picking top high-school players to attend "elite" summer camps that sometimes limit enrollments to marquee names. NCAA rules do not allow coaches to run camps that exclude qualified applicants, and the enforcement staff has followed up on complaints when that has happened.
Investigators are also spending more time with coaches away from major investigations to learn about the latest problems the coaches see.
Mr. Price worries that the increasing competitive pressures in intercollegiate athletics will lead more coaches to violate the association's rules.
Those pressures, combined with the payoff for coaches who perform well, trouble him.
"The rising salaries of coaches, that one always worries you," Mr. Price says. "I'm happy for them but realize the stakes rise, and the temptation to step over the line in order to keep winning may become greater as the salary goes higher."
The Chronicle of Higher Education: September 28, 2007
NCAA Says Infractions Cases Will Reach Record High This Year
Competitive pressures lead to more violations of rules
The National Collegiate Athletic Association expects to review more infractions than ever this year, suggesting historic problems in college sports.
The NCAA's enforcement staff, which investigates major rules violations, is on course to complete 20 infractions cases in 2007 — about a third more than last year and twice the number it handled five years ago. But the increase does not necessarily indicate a rise in serious problems in intercollegiate athletics, says David Price, the NCAA's vice president for enforcement.
"In general we're not seeing the blockbuster cases we used to see," he says. "I like to think that's because it's a much cleaner atmosphere out there."
The rise in cases is partly due to speedier investigations. The NCAA has doubled its investigative staff in recent years and cut its average inquiry time in half, to about 10 months.
Colleges have also devoted more attention to complying with rules, by adding employees to monitor potential problems and self-reporting more violations. Athletics departments reported about 3,500 minor rules violations last year, an increase of more than 50 percent from five years ago.
Mr. Price says he wants to believe that the larger compliance staffs have had a positive effect on college sports, but he has his doubts. "The realistic side of me says there is probably more going on than we know about," he says, "but we haven't been told about it or we can't get to it."
Biggest Problems
Mr. Price, who oversees 20 investigators, receives seven or eight tips a day about potential rules violations. Many of the tips are from fans trolling online message boards who have little understanding of NCAA rules, he says. His investigators pursue about one of every 15 leads.
The biggest problems tend to be in football and men's basketball, where the financial stakes are highest. In most years, more than half of the major infractions occur in those programs.
This year NCAA investigators have started keeping a closer eye on recruiting, which Mr. Price says has become "increasingly creative."
One recent trend that concerns him: More men's basketball coaches are cherry-picking top high-school players to attend "elite" summer camps that sometimes limit enrollments to marquee names. NCAA rules do not allow coaches to run camps that exclude qualified applicants, and the enforcement staff has followed up on complaints when that has happened.
Investigators are also spending more time with coaches away from major investigations to learn about the latest problems the coaches see.
Mr. Price worries that the increasing competitive pressures in intercollegiate athletics will lead more coaches to violate the association's rules.
Those pressures, combined with the payoff for coaches who perform well, trouble him.
"The rising salaries of coaches, that one always worries you," Mr. Price says. "I'm happy for them but realize the stakes rise, and the temptation to step over the line in order to keep winning may become greater as the salary goes higher."