Binghamton Students Sound Off on Scandal

Coming off their first NCAA tournament appearance in the school’s history, the Binghamton Bearcats basketball team was ready to make another run at a bid this year before a four month investigation revealed one of college sports’ oddest scandals in recent memory.

The report, released by retired chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals Judith Kaye, said that former head coach Kevin Broadus had been recruiting high school students with arrest records and grades lower than the university’s prior admissions standards. Offenses from six players ranged from drug possession to credit card fraud. Two players had failing grades that were turned in to passing grades after late work was submitted. Student-athletes on academic probation switched their majors to be in the more lax, team-friendly Human Development Department.

Following the report, the college created an entirely new basketball team from scratch led by interim coach Mark Macon. I spoke to Binghamton University students to try to get the thoughts around campus regarding the reputation of the team and the academic institution in the midst of the release of the investigative report.

Erica Lynn, sophomore, member of Binghamton University’s Kick Line

“When it first happened a lot of people weren't too happy. Last year people thought students would no longer attend games and the players would not be able to win those games. I've been at every game because I'm on kick line and at the big games against Albany, Vermont, Maine and UMBC the stands are still packed. From what I see we are still doing well, just not as well as last year. As far as the atmosphere on campus, it has not changed. The amount of people who attend the basketball games only make up a small percentage of the 15,000 students on campus. Binghamton is certainly not a jock school, so many students couldn’t care less.”

Whitney McKinnon, sophomore

“My roommate and many other students I know here think the entire situation is absolutely absurd. They just released the reasons for why they kicked everyone off the team and while credit card theft and other offenses are certainly no laughing matter, everyone here seems to feel that it was ridiculous to have dropped the entire team, some of which had nothing to do with things that happened, in their prime while they were winning.”

George Welge, freshman

“[Binghamton basketball] was something I was looking forward to when I decided to go [to Binghamton] last year. However, our team has really rallied despite the scandal and posted a successful season. The atmosphere around campus is pretty calm I'd say. No one really dwells on it and there isn't a whole lot of spirit and pride that I imagine was going around the school last year. It really hasn't been a huge deal to the average student.”

Natalie Hughes, sophomore

“There's a lot of 'playing the blame game' going around. Our president, Lois DeFleur, is retiring, apparently to get married. This seems a little fishy to me. This is probably for the best considering she's been turning her head to what has been going on with the basketball team. She tries to maintain the attitude: 'Oops, I should have paid more attention to the sports teams.'

“The cocaine, credit card fraud and stealing is inexcusable. It doesn't seem very shocking to me. I think it happens in all schools; high school and college. Athletes simply fly under the radar in terms of academics because the schools want to be Division I.

“It's very unfortunate that Binghamton is getting so much bad press, though we do deserve it. It is a good school, and it is awful that the president and coaches have handled the situation so poorly. It's one thing if the a few students are messing up but when they're all on the same basketball team, then something bigger is going on.”

President DeFleur decided earlier this week that the new basketball team would not compete in the American East Conference Tournament, drawing many student protests. According to Pipe Dream, the university’s weekly student newspaper, out of the 870 confirmed guests on the Facebook event page, only about 50 students showed up to picket with signs outside of the president’s office. President DeFleur released a statement to all student media stating, "I understand that many feel this decision isn't fair to our current players and coaches who have competed so hard this season, but we must work with American East, the NCAA and SUNY to develop a plan to respond to the recommendations of Judge Kaye's review. This decision was part of the process."