Wednesday, February 20, 2013

For NCAA, a Golden Opportunity to Make a Statement on Diversity - Higher Education

For NCAA, a Golden Opportunity to Make a Statement on Diversity - Higher Education: With several new executive-level vacancies as the result of termination of enforcement division staff, the pressing question arises as to whether the NCAA will implement a Rooney Rule of its own to fill these positions with minority candidates who have been waiting in the wings for many years.

In the wake of the debacle surrounding the mishandling of the University of Miami investigation, much of the attention has centered on whether the NCAA and President Mark Emmert should be held to the same “institutional lack of control” standard for which schools get penalized and head coaches often get fired, due to actions often beyond their knowledge. Some have argued that for them to do anything less would represent the height of hypocrisy.

That same logic could apply to the ongoing effort to achieve meaningful diversity at all levels of college sports and especially among their governing organizations.