NCAA News - Colorado Buffalos Sex Scandal

CU: The Sex Scandal Scapegoat
By: Jeremy T. Arnold, NCAA News Writer

For the first time in my history as a University of Colorado
alumnus, I find myself embarrassed to be a Buffalo. I have always
argued the merits of my school with anyone willing to engage,
however I have recently shied away from the topic of alma
maters. Since numerous allegations of rape and improper
recruiting practices within the football program have made
national headlines, the proud history and image of the University
of Colorado has been severely tarnished and the school has
become an example of a much larger problem within Division I
college football as a whole.

To make matters worse, the Princeton Review recently ranked the
University of Colorado the number one “party” school in the
nation. While this ranking system may be more legitimate than
the BCS, it is still highly debatable. Speaking from experience, the
majority of students at the school are very responsible. However,
the fact that CU is in Boulder, one of the most beautiful places in
the world, and is close to the slopes of Vail and other great ski
resorts, can make it a bit difficult to sit in a classroom from time to
time.

I will be one of the first to admit that there is a significant party
factor at CU, however it is unfair to paint the entire school with
this brush. Similarly, it is wrong that the recent allegations
against the football team have damaged the image of the
university as a whole. A few rotten apples may not truly spoil the
bunch but they sure can make things ugly for the others. In like
fashion, it seems that the actions of a few students have unfairly
tainted the diplomas of the many honorable and intelligent
individuals that have passed through the campus in Boulder.

Furthermore, it seems that the University of Colorado football
program has become the public scapegoat for the ills of big time
college athletics. Recruiting is the foundation upon which any
highly ranked athletic program is built and it is a known fact that
many universities provide fringe benefits to lure the best athletes
to their campus. Whether those benefits come in the form of cash,
cars, girls or academic “assistance” is the only question. In the
highly competitive world of college football, rules are often bent
and heads are often turned when it comes to the behavior of
many athletes. As such, it is almost universally acknowledged that
the accusations targeted at the CU program could be leveled
against nearly any other successful Division I program in the
country.

This is not to say that the CU football team and Athletic
department do not deserve some type of punishment or that the
perpetrators of any sexual assault should not be held accountable
for their actions, however, it is absurd to think that it this type of
behavior only takes place in Boulder. The truth of the matter is
that situations such as the one in Colorado have likely taken place
at every school in the country with a football program. The
difference is that, in Boulder, there has been an initiative taken by
the local justice system that has been lacking in other situations.
Countless sexual assault charges have been raised over the years
against college football players, but the attempt by the victims to
target not only the football players, but the Athletic Department
and University as a whole, is unique.

Perhaps the scandal at the University of Colorado will generate a
greater awareness of the problems that exist in Division I NCAA
football. It is reasonable to assume that additional schools will
suffer a similar disgrace in the near future as well. They say that if
you do not learn from the past, you are doomed to repeat it. In
the past, the buffalo was hunted to near extinction because it was
an easy target. Sadly, those same qualities may have transferred
to the school that claims the animal as its mascot.