The committee has proposed removing the N.C.A.A.’s existing, detailed nondiscrimination pledge from the constitution, prompting criticism from groups like the Human Rights Campaign and Athlete Ally. Joni Madison and Hudson Taylor, leaders of these organizations, urged N.C.A.A. leaders last week to include an “enumerated policy providing nondiscrimination protections for all athletes.”
Gates argued that the draft’s provisions on diversity and gender equity “are pretty strong statements that discrimination won’t be tolerated.”
These sections declare that the N.C.A.A. is “committed to diversity and inclusion,” say that conferences and schools “shall create diverse and inclusive environments” and that divisions, conferences and schools have the responsibility to follow laws concerning gender equity. College sports activities, the draft adds, “shall be conducted in a manner free of gender bias,” a subject that surfaced widely this year after disparities between the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments.
Some N.C.A.A.s have been around for a long time. It is likely that existing N.C.A.A. systems and policies will remain the same, or very close to them. For example, the 1996 formula for revenue allocations for Divisions I and II will likely remain unchanged, due to the fact that schools in these divisions control the majority of the votes within the N.C.A.A.
Will this affect the College Football Playoff’s possible expansion?
No. The playoff is run jointly by Notre Dame and Ten conferences. has no control over it.
Any changes to Division I could ultimately influence the playoff and the universities that reach it, but the word “playoff” does not even appear in the draft constitution.
Why is the N.C.A.A. doing it? This is why the N.C.A.A.
It realizes that it doesn’t have much choice.
The N.C.A.A. It has been a legal landmark for many years. In recent years, it has been under scrutiny by the courts as well as politicians at the state- and federal levels. The Supreme Court’s ruling this summer, though, alarmed many industry officials because it left the N.C.A.A. Even more vulnerable to antitrust law challenges.
The N.C.A.A. is trying to get the constitution rewritten. more legal cover, though Gates denied that was the association’s principal motivation. Some scholars doubt that the N.C.A.A. is going to improve its legal position. Its legal position will be significantly improved, but some scholars are skeptical that the N.C.A.A. will not win many court battles.
Source: NY Times
