Congress to review college recruiting practices
WASHINGTON (AP) — Reacting to reports that sex is used to recruit athletes to the University of Colorado and other colleges, Congress wants to know how the NCAA handles schools that go too far.
“I’m really concerned about the NCAA recruiting practices and how they seem to have degenerated into underaged drinking and sexual encounters on a lot of college campuses,” said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a member of the House subcommittee exploring the recruiting issue Thursday.
NCAA president Myles Brand created a task force to recommend tighter recruiting rules, and wants changes in place before the next college football season.
“I think there’s a lot that needs to be done,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over sports-related matters.
With $3.5 billion on the line in Division I college basketball and football, Stearns said, recent recruiting cases beg the question: “Is the NCAA enforcing the rules that are supposed to protect the student athletes?”
University of Colorado president Elizabeth Hoffman will testify on behalf of the school, which has been under scrutiny since three women sued the school, alleging they were raped by football players or recruits in 2001. The women claim the school used the promise of sex to entice recruits.
In all, seven women, including Colorado’s former kicker, said they have been raped since 1997, although no charges have been filed. And reports have cited instances where escorts and strippers were hired to entertain recruits.
The school is investigating and the governor has appointed the state’s attorney general as a special prosecutor.
Last week, Hoffman announced new rules governing recruiting, including prohibiting recruits from attending private parties, requiring adult supervision at all times and establishing an earlier curfew for recruits.
But Stearns and DeGette stressed that Colorado is not the only school under scrutiny. DeGette compiled a list of 18 recent scandals in the college ranks, including recent felony charges against University of Miami’s top recruit, Willie Williams.
Williams was charged after setting off three fire extinguishers in his hotel and grabbing a woman against her will during a visit to Florida over Super Bowl weekend. He was on probation for a burglary charge and had 10 prior arrests.
According to an NCAA database, 31 schools have been sanctioned for major recruiting violations since 2000. Many involved coaches giving cash, plane tickets or other prohibited benefits to the high school athletes or family members.
“I’m interested in hearing what the NCAA intends to do to beef up its recruiting guidelines,” DeGette said. “We hope that this hearing will highlight some of the practices that are becoming sadly pervasive.”