Hold Your Fire: The Injustice of NCAA Sanctions on Innocent Student Athletes

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s current enforcement system and sanctioning process against member institutions that violate the NCAA’s Bylaws punishes prospective and current student athletes for infractions committed by student athletes, coaches, or administrators no longer associated with the institution. This article reviews the injustices committed against prospective and current student athletes, as well as student athletes’ inability to challenge punishments the NCAA levies against them. The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions should increase its consideration of the current student athletes’ welfare at violating institutions before implementing penalties. This article provides recommendations for the NCAA Committee on Infractions that would enable the NCAA to punish the violating member institutions and deter them from violating Bylaws in the future while still being fair to prospective and current student athlete