At the beginning of Big 12 media days on Monday, July 21, commissioner Bob Bowlsby focused his state of the league address on to the NCAA and its rule enforcement procedures.
Bowlsby joins the continuously growing population of NCAA bashers by calling into question the NCAA enforcement wing’s efficiency. While claiming the system is broken and that the NCAA has allowed cheating to pay off, the commissioner pointed out that the NCAA Infraction Committee hasn’t held a hearing in over a year. He also expressed an uncertainty about the impact of the pending NCAA litigation, namely the O’Bannon trial. With new funding challenges on the horizon, Bowlsby says there will be increased tension among the sport that could have impacts as radical as the disappearance of men’s Olympic sports programs.
The NCAA, already feeling the heat from several legal cases pending, is finding its hands full as the criticism mounts. Bowlsby’s interests appear aligned with other Power 5 Conferences who seek more power and control over the rules they are subject to. The NCAA board of directors will vote on a formal proposal to that effect on August 7.