Bylaw 14.11.(1) Problem

This has been bugging me, so I'm going to point out something that needs clarification. I'd like a little transparency, so if you'll indulge me:

This is NCAA President Mark Emmert:

"Question: Explain the student-athlete reinstatement process.

Answer: It always begins with the institution acknowledging that a rule has been violated. The school, not the NCAA, declares the student ineligible after citing a specific bylaw that has been violated. Bylaw 14.11 states that once an institution knows that a violation exists, school officials are obligated to report it. It is an obligation of membership.

Once the school does that, officials have to decide whether to seek reinstatement."

Ok, that's all well and good. To summarize:

1) Institution acknowledges problem
2) Institution makes athlete ineligible
3) Bylaw 14.11 compels the institution to report the problem
4) Institution can then request reinstatement

President Emmert leaves out one thing, though: how quickly the institution has to declare the athlete ineligible. Numerous recent statements in the press from NCAA representatives do the exact same thing.

Now, let's take a look at Bylaw 14.11 (It's actually 14.11.1, to be exact.)

"14.11.1 Obligation of Member Institution to Withhold Student-Athlete from Competition.

If a student-athlete is ineligible under the provisions of the constitution, bylaws or other regulations of the Association, the institution shall be obligated to apply immediately the applicable rule and to withhold the student-athlete from all intercollegiate competition. The institution may appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for restoration of the student-athlete¡¦s eligibility as provided in Bylaw 14.12 if it concludes that the circumstances warrant restoration."

That one word in bold is huge - Auburn did not immediately "apply the applicable rule" or withhold Cam from competition. They waited until the end of the regular season, well after it was obvious that clarification was needed by the reinstatement committee. Every university follows this procedure, without fail, at risk of penalty.

Therefore, if the NCAA advised Auburn to wait, I'd like for them to admit it. The NCAA, which has a notorious reputation for inefficiency, is suddenly behaving like Switzerland, and it's pretty obvious that this week's events have been planned in advance.

But for now, the NCAA seems to be selectively interpreting its own bylaws. Considering how completely obtuse the NCAA can be about applying the letter of their own law in other cases, their recent behavior strikes me as thoroughly hypocritical.