St. Bonaventure punishments too severe

College sports scandals are nothing new. The constant drive to secure the best recruits and… College sports scandals are nothing new. The constant drive to secure the best recruits and build successful programs often influences coaches and athletics directors to bend the rules when dealing with players. But recent events at St. Bonaventure in southwestern New York are unique because the blame has fallen squarely on the school’s president, and the team has paid a severe price. While integrity in academia is certainly important and rules must be enforced, this is one case where the gavel has come down too hard.

On Sunday, Robert J. Wickenheiser resigned as president of St. Bonaventure after it was revealed that the Jamil Terrell, the team’s 6-foot-8-inch center, had been accepted as a transfer from Coastal Georgia Community College without the associates degree required for junior transfers. Terrell does have a certificate in welding, but it is not enough to make him eligible to play.

According to trustee chairman William E. Swann, Terrell’s questionable acceptance was traced back to Wickenheiser because it was he who decided Terrell was eligible, against the recommendation of the university’s athletics compliance representative. A school spokesman said Wickenheiser had intended the gesture to help a promising young man and stemmed from a “difference in interpretation of the relative importance of certain sections of the guidelines.”

But no matter how benevolent his intentions, Wickenheiser is out of a job, and several in the athletics department are now on administrative leave, including the athletics director, basketball coach and an assistant coach – Wickenheiser’s son. Adding to the school’s troubles, the team has forfeited six conference wins and been barred from post-season play. With their tournament hopes lost, the players decided not to play in their two remaining season games.

St. Bonaventure and the towns surrounding the school have been deeply shaken by these events, and the punishment is too severe for the crime. Wickenheiser, though he made a poor choice in accepting Terrell, has developed a reputation as a good president who has worked hard to advance the school’s interests. His resignation could have been avoided in favor of a suspension or other relatively light punishment that enforces the rules but allows a capable man to keep his job.

In losing their post-season hopes, the Bonnies’ basketball team has been punished for a crime they didn’t commit. While dismissing many of the team’s Terrell-influenced wins is an unfortunate necessity, the players should not have been denied their future when a retroactive punishment would suffice. By winning the Atlantic 10 conference championship, the team could secure a spot in the big dance without the assistance of their ineligible teammate.

While it is undeniable that Wickenheiser’s decision was wrong and unacceptable, the aftermath of that decision has turned into a disaster that could and should have been avoided. St. Bonaventure and the Atlantic 10 conference could remedy this situation by restoring the team’s eligibility and putting blame back where blame is due.