AUG 22, 2015 @ 1:00 PM4,466 VIEWS
Will Business Trump Ethics In Baylor Football Scandal Involving Art Briles, Chris Petersen?
Patrick Rishe
CONTRIBUTOR
I cover the economics of the sports industry.
The college football season hasn’t even begun yet, and we already have a shouting match between coaches.
Except this shouting match is about off-field ethics, and depending on who is telling the truth, could cost someone their job if big-time athletic programs treat ethics and moral responsibility with greater credence than business.
In the world of college athletics, that’s a big if.
In this ”he said, he said” battle between two Division I football coaches, where it’s hard to decipher whether they are trying to honestly set the record straight or simply trying to save their reputational and financial bacon, we will learn whether the NCAA decides to be proactive or reactive in yet another troubling case involving violence against women which stems from the sports world.
Here are the 6 things we know to this point:
1) This past week, former Baylor University defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexual assault and convicted of raping a female former Baylor soccer player in October 2013;
2) Prior to arriving at Baylor, Ukwuachu had been at Boise State, a program made famous by long-time coach Chris Petersen, who coached Boise from 2006-2013 before taking the helm at Washington. Ukwuachu played for Petersen in 2012, during which he was named a 2012 Freshman All-American by multiple outlets;
3) Ukwuachu transferred to Baylor for the 2013-14 season, in part because he had a falling out with the Boise State program after Petersen dismissed Ukwuachu from the team (at least temporarily) in May 2013 for violating team rules.
4) On Thursday and Friday of this past week, after the Ukwuachu conviction was announced, Baylor football coach Art Briles stated he had no knowledge of the player’s violent past.
5) On Friday afternoon, Petersen responded to Briles’ comments in this manner:
“After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles,” Petersen said. “In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam’s disciplinary record and dismissal.”
The phrase “thoroughly apprised” stands out most notably. It’s clear – whether Petersen’s statement is accurate or not – that he felt as if Baylor and Briles were placing Petersen at fault for not being more forthcoming with relevant information to the athlete’s character. Thus, by reshaping the narrative, Petersen shifts the morality of the matter onto Briles’ shoulders.
6) In response to Petersen’s comments, Briles reasserted his lack of awareness of the athlete’s violent and troubled past at Boise, and released Ukwuachu’s transfer form in an effort to somehow disavow themselves of wrongdoing.
Now, let’s turn to the economics of the matter:
a) When Petersen signed his contract with Washington, he immediately saw his base salary increase by $1 million, and is guaranteed a minimum of $18 million over five years. Additionally, it’s his first head coaching gig with a program from a “Big 5″ conference, and it’s a program with a storied tradition.
b) Briles made $4.2 million at Baylor in 2013, extending the coach near the end of that season through 2023, and likely guaranteeing he’d be among the top paid coaches in college football.
c) Briles carries considerable power in Waco. When Briles arrived at Baylor, the football team had not posted a winning season since 1995. The Bears had won just 10 of 96 games in the Big 12. People openly questioned whether Baylor could compete in the conference.
By 2010, his third season, Briles had taken Baylor to a bowl. The next season, charismatic quarterback Robert Griffin III gave the program a national boost as the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Baylor won the Big 12 Championship in 2013 for its first conference title since 1980, and was nearly selected into the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014.
Though I could not find data on what Baylor’s typical football revenues were before Briles, the 2013-14 report submitted to the U.S. Department of Education pegged their football revenues at $28.3 million. For perspective, their next highest revenue-generating program – men’s basketball – earned $8.2 million for the same time span.
d) 2015 will mark their second year in $266 million McLane Stadium, which arguably may not had been built if not for the football program’s success under Briles.
In short, though both Petersen and Briles have much to lose financially from possible sanction, Briles has established much more power and influence at his current institution because of the profound financial impact the program has experienced under his direction.
BUSINESS VERSUS ETHICS: NCAA MUST STEP IN TO FIND TRUTH
Whether they will or not, the NCAA must investigate this matter thoroughly…because this entire case highlights a certain sense of moral irresponsibility which is disgusting. Both coaches, leaders of young men and representatives of universities with students of highly diverse backgrounds, must demonstrate the ability to educate young people about valuable life lessons including ethics and integrity.
One of these coaches is not telling the truth, and the impetus to deceive has arisen because the offending party knows his deception contributed to a scenario where a young woman was raped by an individual who had no business being affiliated with any collegiate football program. Better information may have either led to university-sponsored counseling to address Ukwuachu’s anger management issues, or an absolute omission from university life until he addressed his own issues in private. That would have been the ethical path.
But sometimes, the money in college football gets in the way of doing what’s ethical.
And especially for a program experiencing a rags-to-football riches story (like Baylor’s), you can see why business could trump ethics when the person you may have to potentially terminate is the very person who has reinvigorated your football program…which subsequently created more revenues and visibility than anything else ever experienced in the school’s history.
If ethics trump business, then the conditional outcomes are pretty cut and dry:
- If Petersen knew of Ukwuachu’s troubled past and didn’t share this information with Baylor, then he deserves a serious reprimand…either from the NCAA or his current employer (Washington).
- If Petersen knew of Ukwuachu’s troubled past and shared this information entirely with Art Briles, then Briles deserves a serious reprimand…either from the NCAA or his current employer (Baylor).
If the latter is true, Baylor University’s President and Chancellor, Ken Starr, will be thrust in the spotlight.
For IF Briles knew the truth of Ukwuachu’s violent past, and yet still opened Baylor’s doors to this troubled youth because he had the potential to contribute to the ascension of the Baylor football program, then Briles must face a reasonable degree of culpability for what happened to this poor young woman assaulted by Ukwuachu.
Unfortunately and cynically, I have little faith an internal or local investigation will sufficiently uncover the truth. All too recently, and as highlighted by the New York Times, we’ve seen how investigations involving highly profitable college football programs can go sideways in a hurry.
This is why I hope the NCAA invests its resources into this matter, as well as seriously consider procedural reform as it relates to the sharing of information between schools pertaining to student-athlete transfers.
Because a youth was needlessly attacked and maybe traumatized for life.
And if Chris Petersen is being truthful, this was an attack which could have been prevented had business not trumped ethics.
===========================
Dr. Rishe is the Founder and President of Sportsimpacts, as well as the Director of the Sports Business Program within the Olin Business School at Washington University in St Louis.
I
Will Business Trump Ethics In Baylor Football Scandal Involving Art Briles, Chris Petersen?
Patrick Rishe
CONTRIBUTOR
I cover the economics of the sports industry.
The college football season hasn’t even begun yet, and we already have a shouting match between coaches.
Except this shouting match is about off-field ethics, and depending on who is telling the truth, could cost someone their job if big-time athletic programs treat ethics and moral responsibility with greater credence than business.
In the world of college athletics, that’s a big if.
In this ”he said, he said” battle between two Division I football coaches, where it’s hard to decipher whether they are trying to honestly set the record straight or simply trying to save their reputational and financial bacon, we will learn whether the NCAA decides to be proactive or reactive in yet another troubling case involving violence against women which stems from the sports world.
Here are the 6 things we know to this point:
1) This past week, former Baylor University defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexual assault and convicted of raping a female former Baylor soccer player in October 2013;
2) Prior to arriving at Baylor, Ukwuachu had been at Boise State, a program made famous by long-time coach Chris Petersen, who coached Boise from 2006-2013 before taking the helm at Washington. Ukwuachu played for Petersen in 2012, during which he was named a 2012 Freshman All-American by multiple outlets;
3) Ukwuachu transferred to Baylor for the 2013-14 season, in part because he had a falling out with the Boise State program after Petersen dismissed Ukwuachu from the team (at least temporarily) in May 2013 for violating team rules.
4) On Thursday and Friday of this past week, after the Ukwuachu conviction was announced, Baylor football coach Art Briles stated he had no knowledge of the player’s violent past.
5) On Friday afternoon, Petersen responded to Briles’ comments in this manner:
“After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles,” Petersen said. “In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam’s disciplinary record and dismissal.”
The phrase “thoroughly apprised” stands out most notably. It’s clear – whether Petersen’s statement is accurate or not – that he felt as if Baylor and Briles were placing Petersen at fault for not being more forthcoming with relevant information to the athlete’s character. Thus, by reshaping the narrative, Petersen shifts the morality of the matter onto Briles’ shoulders.
6) In response to Petersen’s comments, Briles reasserted his lack of awareness of the athlete’s violent and troubled past at Boise, and released Ukwuachu’s transfer form in an effort to somehow disavow themselves of wrongdoing.
Now, let’s turn to the economics of the matter:
a) When Petersen signed his contract with Washington, he immediately saw his base salary increase by $1 million, and is guaranteed a minimum of $18 million over five years. Additionally, it’s his first head coaching gig with a program from a “Big 5″ conference, and it’s a program with a storied tradition.
b) Briles made $4.2 million at Baylor in 2013, extending the coach near the end of that season through 2023, and likely guaranteeing he’d be among the top paid coaches in college football.
c) Briles carries considerable power in Waco. When Briles arrived at Baylor, the football team had not posted a winning season since 1995. The Bears had won just 10 of 96 games in the Big 12. People openly questioned whether Baylor could compete in the conference.
By 2010, his third season, Briles had taken Baylor to a bowl. The next season, charismatic quarterback Robert Griffin III gave the program a national boost as the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Baylor won the Big 12 Championship in 2013 for its first conference title since 1980, and was nearly selected into the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014.
Though I could not find data on what Baylor’s typical football revenues were before Briles, the 2013-14 report submitted to the U.S. Department of Education pegged their football revenues at $28.3 million. For perspective, their next highest revenue-generating program – men’s basketball – earned $8.2 million for the same time span.
d) 2015 will mark their second year in $266 million McLane Stadium, which arguably may not had been built if not for the football program’s success under Briles.
In short, though both Petersen and Briles have much to lose financially from possible sanction, Briles has established much more power and influence at his current institution because of the profound financial impact the program has experienced under his direction.
BUSINESS VERSUS ETHICS: NCAA MUST STEP IN TO FIND TRUTH
Whether they will or not, the NCAA must investigate this matter thoroughly…because this entire case highlights a certain sense of moral irresponsibility which is disgusting. Both coaches, leaders of young men and representatives of universities with students of highly diverse backgrounds, must demonstrate the ability to educate young people about valuable life lessons including ethics and integrity.
One of these coaches is not telling the truth, and the impetus to deceive has arisen because the offending party knows his deception contributed to a scenario where a young woman was raped by an individual who had no business being affiliated with any collegiate football program. Better information may have either led to university-sponsored counseling to address Ukwuachu’s anger management issues, or an absolute omission from university life until he addressed his own issues in private. That would have been the ethical path.
But sometimes, the money in college football gets in the way of doing what’s ethical.
And especially for a program experiencing a rags-to-football riches story (like Baylor’s), you can see why business could trump ethics when the person you may have to potentially terminate is the very person who has reinvigorated your football program…which subsequently created more revenues and visibility than anything else ever experienced in the school’s history.
If ethics trump business, then the conditional outcomes are pretty cut and dry:
- If Petersen knew of Ukwuachu’s troubled past and didn’t share this information with Baylor, then he deserves a serious reprimand…either from the NCAA or his current employer (Washington).
- If Petersen knew of Ukwuachu’s troubled past and shared this information entirely with Art Briles, then Briles deserves a serious reprimand…either from the NCAA or his current employer (Baylor).
If the latter is true, Baylor University’s President and Chancellor, Ken Starr, will be thrust in the spotlight.
For IF Briles knew the truth of Ukwuachu’s violent past, and yet still opened Baylor’s doors to this troubled youth because he had the potential to contribute to the ascension of the Baylor football program, then Briles must face a reasonable degree of culpability for what happened to this poor young woman assaulted by Ukwuachu.
Unfortunately and cynically, I have little faith an internal or local investigation will sufficiently uncover the truth. All too recently, and as highlighted by the New York Times, we’ve seen how investigations involving highly profitable college football programs can go sideways in a hurry.
This is why I hope the NCAA invests its resources into this matter, as well as seriously consider procedural reform as it relates to the sharing of information between schools pertaining to student-athlete transfers.
Because a youth was needlessly attacked and maybe traumatized for life.
And if Chris Petersen is being truthful, this was an attack which could have been prevented had business not trumped ethics.
===========================
Dr. Rishe is the Founder and President of Sportsimpacts, as well as the Director of the Sports Business Program within the Olin Business School at Washington University in St Louis.
I
