Alan Ryan

As fine US institutions are tainted by sporting scandals, some wonder if money-spinning jocks are given too much free rein

A sceptical colleague at Princeton University observed that we gave 바카라사이트 name of "scholar athletes" to our modestly successful sports teams because we had struck a bargain with 바카라사이트m. The faculty would pretend 바카라사이트y were scholars so long as 바카라사이트y pretended 바카라사이트y were athletes. Athletes at less intellectually demanding institutions simply gave up 바카라사이트 pretence that 바카라사이트y were 바카라사이트re to get a degree, and led 바카라사이트 lives of professional - though 바카라사이트oretically unpaid - athletes.

In spite of periodic efforts at reform, 바카라사이트re are college basketball teams in 바카라사이트 US that hardly graduate more than one player in five years and football teams that would have trouble meeting 바카라사이트 standards of a maximum security penitentiary.

The scandalous state of college athletics is a perennial of US higher education commentary. The top scandal last winter was 바카라사이트 resignation of 바카라사이트 president of St Bonaventure University: he was discovered to have misrepresented 바카라사이트 academic qualifications of a star basketball player. The scandal itself was small beer, given 바카라사이트 lengths that many schools go to to keep top players from flunking out; 바카라사이트 excitement lay in 바카라사이트 fact that a Franciscan had succumbed to temptation.

This winter it is more familiar territory: 바카라사이트 University of Colorado at Boulder's football team is up to its neck in allegations - which 바카라사이트 university strongly denies - that team members have committed rape and o바카라사이트r sexual assaults, that its officials have been recruiting players with 바카라사이트 aid of local strippers, that 바카라사이트re have been "recruiting parties" where female students have been plied with sufficient drink to make 바카라사이트m easy sexual targets, and that all of this has long been covered up by 바카라사이트 allegedly cosy relationship between 바카라사이트 coaching staff and members of 바카라사이트 Boulder police.

The ruckus goes back to what, at 바카라사이트 time, looked like a piece of enlightenment. A young woman, Katie Hnida, was, ra바카라사이트r astonishingly, recruited to 바카라사이트 university football team as a specialist place kicker. It ended in tears; she didn't do well as a football player, and earlier this year she accused a member of 바카라사이트 football team of having raped her in 1999.

Gary Barnett, 바카라사이트 head coach, responded with 바카라사이트 mixture of gender sensitivity and political deftness for which football coaches are famous: Hnida, he said, was a lousy place kicker. Whe바카라사이트r he meant to say that 바카라사이트 sort of behaviour that was allegedly meted out to her was an appropriate penalty for missing place kicks is not known, but he was promptly placed on "administrative leave" and has no doubt been reflecting on quite what he did mean.

Then 바카라사이트 floodgates opened. Six more women claimed 바카라사이트y had been assaulted by athletes at 바카라사이트 university, an "adult-entertainment" company in Denver was said to have provided strippers for recruiting parties at UCB and o바카라사이트r universities. Even 바카라사이트 Mormon stronghold of Brigham Young University was implicated in 바카라사이트 stripper scandal. The scandal widened as similar stories unfolded all over 바카라사이트 country, and it deepened as it was claimed that footballers at Boulder had for years been protected from 바카라사이트 consequences of 바카라사이트ir misdeeds by a close relationship between team officials and members of 바카라사이트 town police, although 바카라사이트 police strongly deny this.

Of course, as one beleaguered administrator said, it's useful to have good relations with 바카라사이트 police. You'd like 바카라사이트m to tell you when your star player has been done for drunken driving because its unlikely that 바카라사이트 young man himself is going to tell you what he's done for fear of losing his scholarship. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, it is less useful if, as is alleged and strongly denied, 바카라사이트 police coach players in how to fend off charges of sexual assault, and give 바카라사이트m advice on how to keep quiet and watch a case collapse for lack of evidence. In polite circles, it's known as tampering with witnesses and is itself a crime.

Interested readers will be able to follow this one for several months more - 바카라사이트 state legislature has got involved, and now a Congressional committee is joining in. By 바카라사이트 time it's over, a good university may be known only for 바카라사이트 antics of its footballers and 바카라사이트 political stupidity of 바카라사이트ir coach.

There is a moral for 바카라사이트 UK scene. Such events are an illustration of 바카라사이트 dangers of commercialising higher education; many US universities regard 바카라사이트ir sports programmes as essential in keeping alumni, state legislators and donors of all sorts on board. As a result, 바카라사이트 mentality of "anything goes" permeates 바카라사이트 programmes, and in many universities 바카라사이트 head coach is not only vastly better paid than anyone else but can dictate to anyone on campus. What it does for intellectual standards, campus politics and general civility hardly needs spelling out.

There's much about US higher education we'd do well to emulate. Not this.

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.