The Needed Mass Exodus at Baylor U

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Sports Illustrated- Baylor has fired head coach Art Briles amid the controversy over the school’s handling of rape allegations involving football players, Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel reports. ESPN’s Brett McMurphy was first to report the news. Extensive reporting by ESPN’s Outside the Lines detailed numerous instances where Baylor officials and coaches were aware of sexual assault allegations against players but did not discipline them. School president Ken Starr was reportedly fired by the school as a result of the scandal, though the school denied the report. Baylor is accused of failing to respond to reports of rape and/or sexual assault filed by at least six female students from 2009 to 2016. Two former football players, Tevin Elliott and Sam Ukwuachu, have been convicted of rape.

The mass exodus has begun at Baylor University of the administration and the football program. This is something that a few month ago couldn't have been imagine. Baylor is one of the hottest football programs around and has only been getting better since the days of RG3. 

Of course, underneath all that success was apparently a long line of sexual assaults, which is an awful thing to happen to anyone. Having it pushed under the rug to save face is even worse, but the mess finally got to big to hide and now heads are going to roll. The talk in the sports world will be centered around the effect this will have on the program and the players that decided to leave. The school will no doubt have a few years of dark clouds hanging over it. 



Instead, it should be focused on the bigger issue of how this is not the only University these types of things are happening at. It is a known fact that big time school programs do anything possible to keep a lid on issues that could effect the product that is going onto fields. Think of examples at Penn State, SMU, and Colorado...all these schools and more had scandals that were being covered up for too long. It is a trend that needs to be stopped and maybe the events that have unfolded at Baylor will finally open up the eyes of those involved in the NCAA to try and make a change. 

Now especially, in the age of social media these issues will come out quicker and with a lot more attention than ever before, so if you're a school with these issues do yourself a favor and deal with the problems. Don't think about how this will deter ticket sales, commitments, or enrollment. Instead, think of the people who have to deal with that happened to them and help them get back to normal.

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