Ncaa Responds To Newspaper Report

A newspaper’s recent six-part series on the NCAA “badly misconstrues the NCAA’s educational mission and ignores almost all positive elements of the NCAA enterprise,” the organization said in a published response.

In a 2,300-word statement printed in The Kansas City Star’s editorial pages, the NCAA said it was “deeply disappointed” in the series.

“The NCAA worked cooperatively with the Star for nearly two years to enhance the Star’s understanding of the Association. Much of that information was not reported,” stated the letter, which was signed by NCAA executive director Cedric Dempsey and Samuel Smith, president of Washington State University and chairman of the NCAA’s executive committee.

The Star’s series, completed after an 18-month investigation, focused on a number of issues, including health and safety of athletes, gender equity and Title IX, enforcement and the ethics of high NCAA officials.

The series also focused on the hundreds of millions of dollars the NCAA and its member schools make each year through the efforts of college athletes, who are denied any right to participate in commercial activity through athletics themselves.

The NCAA’s response took issue with allegations that it does not “adhere to its mission,” that money drives the NCAA and that it is insensitive to the welfare, health and safety of college athletes.