Every week, the Daily News prints the police beat, listing anyone who has been arrested in the area during the past week. The Ball State University community members whose names have appeared on this list surely weren’t happy about the publication of their names, but that’s what living in a free society means: full disclosure, even when you’re not proud of what you’ve done.
Last semester, at least 25 Ball State athletes broke an NCAA “extra benefits” rule and took advantage of the university by abusing their book-loan scholarships. They did something wrong.
Although they either served or are serving their punishments and Ball State tightened its athlete textbook use policy, the students of Ball State deserve to know the names of every one of these players.
No one can be sure who they all are, however, because someone has sealed the lips of every mouthpiece in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, using the Family Educational Rights for Privacy Act as a shield.
The students who appear in the police beat have to own up to the violations they’ve committed, but it seems athletes are often given the privilege of hiding behind university and athletic officials -- in this case, the privilege of remaining unnamed.
Such is not the case for three starting seniors on the women’s volleyball team. They will not hit a single ball or block a single shot this weekend — they aren’t even traveling with the team.
After violating this rule and abusing their privileges, they are now, rightfully, facing the consequences.
Ball State’s athletics department might be releasing more information today regarding the situation, Glenn Augustine, associate director of University Communications, said Thursday. But even if this information is released, there’s no telling how much the department will actually disclose.
There is no reason to protect and cover for our athletes — they should have to face up to their actions just like any other student does, like any other person does.
All the athletics department is doing with these cover-ups is buying the athletes time before they have to be responsible for their own actions. And, in some ways, that is just as wrong as what the athletes did.
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