Cut back athletics at BYU? Impossible?
Talk to a recent BYU-Idaho grad if you still think so.
A Utah County attorney announced Friday that four now-expelled BYU football players were charged with two counts each of aggravated sexual assault as well as one count each of dealing harmful material to a minor, furnishing alcohol to a minor and obstruction of justice.
That?s a mouthful, but there?s more.
Two other players were charged and suspended from the team. One was charged with making a false material statement; the other was charged with dealing harmful material to a minor.
Of course it would be unfair to condemn the entire athletic department on the misdeeds of one of the teams, much less on those of a half-dozen football players charged with felonies.
But the announcement draws attention to a much larger issue: how important is winning at BYU and what concessions will the school make to stock our teams with players who are likely to produce wins?
Our football coach just walked away from BYU after three seasons of too few wins because, in his words, ?In this business, that?s what it?s about ? getting wins.?
So college athletics are a business. But how much is BYU willing to invest in this business? At what point will the university decide that the moral cost of winning every game may be too high?
The problem lies with the erroneous belief that somehow, some way, BYU should achieve superior success in every area. Academically, we will be the Harvard of the West. Athletically, we will be Oklahoma or Auburn. We will do all this while maintaining an unparalleled level of spirituality.
We hope that despite our smaller budget and stricter standards, we will achieve uncommon success in academics, sports and spirituality.
But if we as a school find that we cannot excel in all three, which one or two will take precedence.
The answer should be obvious. We should not sacrifice academic excellence or commitment to the honor code for athletic talent. Period.
The fact that athletics now play a significantly diminished role at BYU-Idaho compared to the Ricks College era indicates that top-level athletic programs are not indispensable at Church-owned schools.
We either need to find a way to win without compromising our other strengths, or accept the prospect of a few losses in coming seasons.
To make these concessions compromises what is unique and wonderful about BYU.
Harvard is no Oklahoma on the football field, and Oklahoma is no Harvard in the classroom. Neither of these fine schools is BYU in terms of our moral standards as defined by our honor code.
We are BYU, and that is enough.