In light of the drama surrounding the sexual assault conviction of former Baylor and Boise State defensive end Sam Ukwuachu, the Big 12 could soon be adopting the same policy as the SEC regarding transfers with checkered pasts.
Per Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, all of the Big 12 Conference’s athletic directors unanimously voted to adopt a rule like the one the SEC passed in May, one that bans transfers who left their previous schools due to “serious misconduct.”
In this case, “serious misconduct” is defined as “sexual assault, domestic assault, and other forms of sexual violence.”
Next up, as Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told reporters, is for the measure to be “advanced for refinement and consideration” by the Big 12 Joint Council, which consists of university presidents, ADs and “faculty-athletic representatives.”
Bowlsby said that he expects the bill to receive “broad support” which, at this point, should be all but a given. Baylor has been rocked ever since Ukwuachu’s conviction, with conflicting reports regarding how much coach Art Briles knew about his past before bringing him to the team. He claims that he had no clue about Ukwuachu’s violent past, while former Boise State coach Chris Petersen, now at Washington, has stated that he gave Briles full and fair warning about Ukwuachu’s off-field issues.
Regardless of what Briles knew, this is a policy that every single conference should adopt. There is no place in the sports world for those found guilty of violence against women, especially of the sexual nature, and the sooner that the Big 12 adopts this rule, the better.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
