The NCAA's bad method

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a bureaucracy made up of college and university representatives that oversees and governs intercollegiate athletics. One way to think of this body is as it's sum being greater than it's parts. Sort of a "Congress" for the conferences and member institutions. NCAA.org even states the following:

"Many believe the Association rules college athletics; however, it is actually a bottom-up organization in which the members rule the Association."

Whatever...sounds like a paradox wrapped in a riddle because one of the core competencies of the Association is to issue/make available/publish a myriad of opinions, bylaws, and red tape. One such annual treatise, titled "NCAA Division I Manual" contains six articles together known as "The Constitution".

So, this organization, ruled by it's members, is now publishing a Constitution.

Stay with me here, this is getting good.

They have titled the second article of the six articles of The Constitution, "Principles of Conduct of Intercollegiate Athletics" and section six of that article states:

2.6 THE PRINCIPLE OF NONDISCRIMINATION
The Association shall promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person. It is the policy of the Association to refrain from discrimination with respect to its governance policies, educational programs, activities and employment policies, including on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, creed or sexual orientation. It is the responsibility of each member institution to determine independently its own policy regarding nondiscrimination. (Adopted: 1/16/93 Revised: 1/11/00)

Keep that last sentence in mind as you read this, from the August 6, 2005 online edition of the Boston Globe:

//
The NCAA took an important step in its campaign to eliminate the use of "hostile or abusive" nicknames by its membership yesterday by banning the use of Native American mascots by sports teams during postseason tournaments. The decision will prevent member schools from displaying nicknames or imagery deemed offensive on uniforms, clothing, or logos after Feb. 1.

The NCAA Executive Committee, meeting in Indianapolis, said at least 18 schools would be affected by the policy, including Division 1 athletic icons Florida State (Seminoles), Illinois (Fighting Illini), and Utah (Utes). Regardless of stature, each institution will also be barred from hosting future NCAA postseason tournaments. Schools already selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.
//

That sounds more like the Association ruling it's members, anathema to the last sentence of section 2.6- "It is the responsibility of each member institution to determine independently its own policy regarding nondiscrimination."

So, stupid has no basement, moving along...

The second paragraph on the Boston Globe webpage starts off:

"The NCAA Executive Committee, meeting in Indianapolis..."

Whoa! "MEETING IN INDIANAPOLIS?"

Turns out, the NCAA is headquartered in the fair burg of INDIANapolis, INDIANa. The NCAA moved to INDIANapolis, INDIANa in July of 1999.

Now, via various duplicities, the Association has been able to "persuade" it's members (who rule it mind you) to change their mascots. We can only assume these persuasions and urgings took a form similar to the above Boston Globe reference, wherein the teams are banned from participating, unless they conform to the will of the NCAA Executive Committee, ruled by it's members and leaving interpretation of nondiscrimination up to individual institutions. Got that?

For instance, the Miami University Redskins became the Miami University Redhawks at the NCAA's behest. The NCAA, based in INDIANapolis, INDIANa determined "Redskins" was in violation of the "feelgood", "everybody belongs" section 2.6- "The principle of nondiscrimination".

However, the truth is, Native Americans prefer the moniker "Native Americans" for their race and culture. In fact, they ARE NOT Indians- Indians live in ASIA. Therefore, INDIANapolis, INDIANa alienates Native Americans by trivializing who they really are.

An albeit limited review of the NCAA's own publications can find no use of the word "Indian" in reference to Native Americans.

Therefore, the NCAA should take up the cause of renaming INDIANapolis, INDIANa, (as Miami University did with it's mascot) or move it's headquarters away from this location on the basis of it's very own Article 2.6!

Assuming renaming the city is the preference, Cliftonite offers the following possibilities:

+Nativeamericanapolis, Nativeamericana (this one is so obvious, it probably should have been changed yesterday)
+Cornapolis, Nativeamericana
+Flatapolis, Flatstate
+Havewemadeittochicagoyet, Reststopiana
+The Void

Since this is absolutely ludicrous, another option could be entertained- abolish the NCAA. It is self righteous, hypocritical, and petty.