(Editor's note: Julie Roe Lach is the former NCAA vice president of enforcement. She began working at the NCAA in 1997 as in intern in the enforcement division; was hired in 1998 in the student-athlete reinstatement group and became director in 1999. In 2004, she transferred to the major infractions division of enforcement, supervising a team of investigators until 2010, when she was named vice president of enforcement, a position she held until leaving the organization in February 2013. Julie is a consultant with colleges, universities, conferences and affiliated organizations; areas of expertise include enforcement matters and women's leadership issues.)



"The redeeming value in the eyes of the colleges has been the NCAA's efforts to maintain order. For all the bitter criticism, only NCAA enforcement has enabled college athletics to move on from decade to decade with some semblance of decency. It's a job nobody else wants to do. Whatever our problems in achieving an honorable workplace for college athletes, enforcement is the bedrock upon which the NCAA edifice is based…" – Walter Byers' "Unsportsmanlike Conduct"





The bedrock is fractured but not destroyed. During the investigation of the University of Miami's athletics program, it was determined the enforcement staff crossed the line. The Cadwalader review of the staff's investigation concluded that one staff member knowingly acted contrary to legal advice in an effort to uncover the truth. The review also concluded the enforcement staff's actions did not violate any state or federal law or NCAA bylaw, but did go beyond what member schools deem appropriate investigative tactics. Sadly, the public fallout has eroded confidence and trust in the entire enforcement program. The erosion is understandable but misguided.

The lessons learned from the Cadwalader report in the wake of the Miami investigation warrant tightening investigative policies and controls. The report also highlights the need for NCAA schools and the enforcement staff to be clear about acceptable investigative tactics. But, more radical change is not the answer. The NCAA executive committee's recent statements have alluded to additional regulatory review. The staff's actions in one case should not unravel the recently overhauled investigative arm or the new penalty structure on the cusp of making a lasting and needed impact.

I am concerned that if college presidents and other leaders in college athletics do not strongly support the enforcement program (the department and the new model) and allow time to effectively implement the previously approved changes, then, the program risks being decimated. More than ever, the enforcement program needs sustained support from university presidents and other leaders in college athletics. Such support, while unpopular, is vital.

Less than two years ago, 50 college and university presidents agreed that one of the biggest issues facing college athletics was a fundamental threat to integrity based on the widespread belief that cheaters prospered. It appeared that coaches thought it was worth breaking the rules because they would not get caught and if they did, the penalty would be weak. Changes have been made to target this threat; those changes now need support. The enforcement staff needs backing from member schools to aggressively investigate the big cases (to keep alive the healthy fear of getting caught) that will in some instances lead to devastating penalties prescribed by the reform adopted November 1, 2012.

For the NCAA to move forward to the next decade as Byers notes, the enforcement program should be a unique aspect of college athletics that is supported rather than regarded as a necessary evil.









Shortly after Mark Emmert was named NCAA president in April 2010, the NCAA faced 18 months of unprecedented scandals in football and men's basketball. The cases primarily involved cash and other benefits given to prospects and student-athletes, and dishonesty by high-profile coaches. The infamous joke from Jerry Tarkanian – "The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky, it will probably slap another two years' probation on Cleveland State" – that the NCAA picked on low-profile schools seemed disproven given the lineup of high-profile schools with infractions cases (Southern California; North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Tennessee; Auburn; Ohio State; Connecticut; Miami).

Story continues