Prince 1 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY

Strengthening Ethical Responsibility in Collegiate Athletics Despite Monetary Pressures and the Winning at Any Cost Mentality

Liz Prince Belmont University, MSA Student

Prince 2 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY QUESTION PRESENTED What can universities do to strengthen ethical responsibility in athletic programs and how can universities work with student-athletes, coaches, alumni and fans to encourage ethical behavior and minimize unethical behavior?

INTRODUCTION A loss of ethical standards seems to becoming the new norm in college athletics. Every new sanction imposed on an NCAA member institution now follows with a new investigation into another rule-breaking scandal. These recent violations do not just break NCAA Rules, but they also encroach upon human morality and everything upon which the founded academic institutions stand. This problem needs to be addressed before this new norm becomes the standard for ethics in collegiate athletics, and this new generation of student-athletes does not become numb to the ideals of right and wrong. Corruption in collegiate athletics is not a novel issue. In 1932 Reed Harris published King Football, the Vulgarization of the American College. Harris book focused primarily upon the Ivy Leagues football programs and rebuked those highly esteemed universities for placing a greater value upon athletics over academics and for compensating athletes for their performances on the field. (Siegel, 2011). For years, programs have been slapped on the wrist for various violations. All types of sanctions have been imposed on these programs by its overall governing body the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). And even though these sanctions do away with the poisonous fruit in the present time, they have not proven to cure these institutions of the poison which corrupts.

Prince 3 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY REVIEW OF LITERATURE Harrison-Dyer discusses several of the winning NCAA Division I schools who are currently under imposed sanctions: The Ohio State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Miami. However, the main focus of her article was the investigation and sanctions which were enacted upon The Ohio State University. After the NCAAs investigation, it was revealed that several star football players sold certain Ohio State memorabilia, gained as a result of being a student-athlete, for cash and tattoos. Despite the uncovering of these improprieties, the players were allowed to play in the teams 2011 Sugar Bowl game; proving the Universitys focus was solely upon ensuring they would secure a win on the field. One may question if the win was more important than the noted violations. (Harrison-Dyer, 2011). Arguably even more despicable, the Head Football Coach, Jim Tressel, was allegedly aware of the players actions prior to the investigation and did nothing to reprimand their behavior. Tressel subsequently resigned from his position and can now be deemed as the perfect example of the win-at-any-cost mentality. As a result of the plethora of NCAA investigations, Harrison-Dyer suggests athletic departments re-commit to a code of ethics and even adopt Zinns (1994) ethical decision-making model to ensure they continue to abide by the adopted code of ethics. (Harrison-Dyer, 2011). However, the most recent core-shaking improprieties of late are those of Penn State Universitys football program. In an interview conducted by Robert Siegel of National Public Radio, Professor Dave Ridpath from Ohio Universitys Sport Administration Program discusses how Penn States situation is the leading example proving rational people in sport do irrational

Prince 4 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY things. Ridpath asserts Penn States illegalities show[] the lengths that very smart, very distinguished people, the lengths that they will go to [] protect King Football, to protect the brand, to protect the image, to protect highly-paid coaches is immense. (Siegel, 2011). Ridpath further agrees the collegiate athletic system is a broken one which may have reached its tipping point with the Penn State reveal and needs to re-focus on the student-athlete as an amateur at the collegiate level not a professionally paid athlete. In this article, Siegel reaffirms the need for athletic directors to step up to the plate and take charge in revamping the culture of their universities. They must rededicate their universitys commitment to the full meaning of student-athlete and attempt to reintegrate the athlete back into the classroom as an equal with other students. The athletic directors must not only recommit to their universitys educational ideals in the development of athletes as students, but they must also set realistic goals for their athletic teams and coaches. Siegel states, If we as athletic directors place a higher value on winning than on the total experience of the studentathlete, we are telling coaches all the wrong things. (Siegel, 2011). For these institutions to maintain, or in some cases regain, their integrity, it will take the athletic director truly stepping into his/her role of being committed to doing things the right way, not the easy or the popular way. PROPOSED SOLUTION From the brief review of literature, every article points to the same solution: the universities should take away the god-like deference that society has placed in these coaches of revenue-producing sports and give power and respect back into the hands of the athletic director who still reveres the true purpose of the university as an academic institution. After all, the head

Prince 5 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY athletic director of these institutions is the key position that should act as the glue to hold the athletic department together. However, the main underlying goal of this solution will only be successful if the universities hire ethical individuals in these main coaching and athletic director positions who will lead by example. Honesty and integrity can be restored in collegiate athletics, but it starts with the major players. If these universities hire individual leaders who will stand up to corruption, the problems can be eradicated and these programs will be able to restore the scholastic values upon which their universities were established. The solution is simple: employ a top-down approach which focuses upon the values of not just the athlete but the student-athlete as a whole, and ensure accountability is a main priority for the university and the athletic department. History has shown this proposed solution will be successful; if you have reputable leaders who live by example and set an atmosphere of honesty and integrity, others will follow. On a much larger scale, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa L. Parks are great models of this methodology. Beginning on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks set this plan into motion by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. (Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013). This sole act of courage led to the Montgomery bus boycott and placed Martin Luther King, Jr.s position of non-violent protests on a national pedestal for all to see. These civil rights leaders led by example and others followed with non-violence; soon thereafter, the Woolworth counter sit-in occurred in Greensboro, North Carolina. Eventually, the civil rights activists peaceable works proved effective when the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education was rendered and the Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1964. (Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013).

Prince 6 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY History has also proven the contrary; if a leader with ill intentions is placed in power and approves such immoral behavior, most followers will fall in line with the leader and follow the depraved example which has been set for them. The most blatant example of such evil behavior is that of Adolf Hitler. However, many complexities existed with the Nazi Germany Movement; therefore, it may be more fitting for our university-based question to be compared to that of the Stanford Prison Experiment. This experiment portrayed the possibility for inherently good people to turn towards evil, or make unscrupulous decisions, if their behavior is endorsed or permitted by their leader. (HeroicImaginationTV, 2011). It also shows if people are given power without oversight or accountability, there is a huge risk for abuse of that power. SUMMARY For such a complex and growing problem in collegiate athletics, the solution is simple: begin by hiring ethical leaders who will lead by example. Once faith and power is placed back into the hands of the directors of these athletic programs and academic institutions, and these leaders begin making a stand for ethical practices, others at the institution will follow suit. As Albert Schweitzer once said, Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing. (Allen & Gerritsen, 2011).

Prince 7 STRENGTHENING ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS DESPITE MONETARY PRESSURES AND THE WINNING AT ANY COST MENTALITY References Allen & Gerritsen (2011). The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. Retrieved March 24, 2013, from http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/about/quotes.aspx. Harrison-Dyer, Stephanie (2011). Ethical Dilemmas in College Athletics: The Role of Coaches and the Codes of Ethics. The Sport Digest, Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://thesportdigest.com/2011/07/ethical-dilemmas-in-collegiate-athletics-the-role-of coaches-and-the-codes-of-ethic/ HeroicImaginationTV. (2011, August 20). The Stanford Prison Experiment. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0 Lapchick, Richard, Slaughter, John Brooks, & Single, Doug. The Role of Directors of Athletics in Restoring Integrity to Intercollegiate Sport (1994). The Rules of the Game: Ethics in College Sport. 151-160. Martin Luther King Jr. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved Mar 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086 Siegel, Robert. Ridpath Discusses Ethics In College Sports (2011). National Public Radio. Interview of Dave Ridpath. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from http://www.npr.org/2011/11/09/142184376/ridpath-discusses-ethics-in-college-sports