Morgan Randall: UNC players not to blame for scandal

“If you wanted to go to school to get an education, you should’ve gone to (expletive) Harvard,” UNC football coach Butch Davis said. After a few seconds of silence, we started laughing and cheering. As scholarship football players at UNC, we knew we were there to play football, but hearing the head coach proclaim it with such eloquence was a real treat.

Today it appears the UNC administration agrees with Davis, at least when it comes to its athletes.

The “paper classes” at the heart of the UNC scandal have widely been condemned as insufficient to qualify as college credit. Having taken two of these classes, I can confirm this to be the case. And while the courses took relatively little effort, no one questions whether I fulfilled their requirements.

This clear violation of academic integrity has prompted the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to place UNC on academic probation. And in an effort to get the scandal behind it, the current administration seems more than willing to also accept NCAA sanctions that may include vacating wins and forfeiting postseason opportunities.

While many (especially those at The N&O) salivate for penalties like these, I see this approach as selling out students. The existence of “paper classes” was the university’s failure, not mine or my teammates’. Our wins on the field came through tremendous sacrifice – a sacrifice UNC demanded of us. If someone didn’t qualify academically to play, it was up to the university to bear that out. UNC, therefore, should stop blaming the victim for a dilemma of its own making.

Rather than accept the NCAA’s perverted definitions of “morality,” UNC should stand up for its students. It is long overdue for an institution to resist the many injustices the NCAA advocates. I, along with every other athlete, did what was asked of me and more. Submitting to such punishments would provide a convenient scapegoat but in actuality only demean the athletes’ talents and efforts.

The university’s mea culpa is insincere if it sells out the students it is supposed to value and protect.

Maybe I should have taken Davis’ advice and gone to Harvard instead. Then perhaps my university would have valued at least part of my college career.

The writer, an offensive lineman on the UNC football team 2006-2008, graduated from the school in 2010 and completed medical school at University of Kentucky. The length limit was waived.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Morgan Randall: UNC players not to blame for scandal."