The relationship between a university and its athletic department is often a perilous one. And when that university is one of the finest public institutions in the country, and its football team is ranked in the top 10 nationally, that relationship can become downright problematic.
If the University of Wisconsin wants to maintain its credibility as a respectable academic institution, it is imperative that its student athletes be held to the same standard as their less athletically inclined peers. This must be true in practice, and equally as important, the university must protect itself against the appearance of a double standard.
It is in this light that we consider comments made by UW head football coach Bret Bielema earlier this week. To recap, the Offices of the Dean of Students announced Sept. 5 the suspension of UW running back Lance Smith from all five regular-season road games. The suspension was an entirely appropriate reaction to a July incident in which Mr. Smith was charged with misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct after an altercation with his girlfriend, a fellow UW student.
Mr. Bielema, understandably, was not happy with the decision from the start. "I wasn't really involved," he told reporters the day the suspension was announced, adding, "I'll handle discipline on my own, very, very well. I don't need outside people coming in and determining what happens." We were less than impressed with his sentiment, but chose not to make an issue out of what seemed to be fairly innocent venting. After all, Mr. Bielema is paid to win football games, and the university's action undoubtedly made his job more difficult.
Earlier this week, however, Mr. Bielema crossed a line he had no business crossing, telling the media at his weekly press conference that he asked Dean of Students Lori Berquam to drop the suspension. "[A]ll I did was go over and had a very positive session with the dean of students and gave them some new information that wasn't relevant or wasn't present at the time of their talks with the people involved," Mr. Bielema announced. "I know this: Lance has handled it very, very well. I know that he made a mistake, and he ‘fessed up to it, but where that lies right now is really determined by the people bigger than me."
Although we tend to believe Mr. Bielema's proclamation has more to do with Mr. Smith's 7.6 yards per carry this season, we are encouraged that the running back has, in fact, been a model citizen this semester. Either way, though, we are disappointed with Mr. Bielema for publicizing his campaign to lift the suspension, and we sympathize with Ms. Berquam, who has now been placed in a decidedly uncomfortable position. It is worth noting that Ms. Berquam's office has declined comment to multiple media organizations about the head coach's comments.
We urge Ms. Berquam not to capitulate to Mr. Bielema's pressure — public or private — regardless of what the athletic department thinks that could mean in terms of wins, losses or even program revenue. If nothing else, we hope a strong stand from the Offices of the Dean of Students will send a loud signal to the public that the football team answers to the university, and not the other way around.
