NBA champions Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers have signed a public letter. The letter, released on Wednesday, contends that political interference in universities threatens to undermine college athletics.
Protecting University Independence
The letter states that “College sports unite us as a nation, drawing out team spirit and shared values of fair play.” It adds that campuses are a bedrock foundation for the role sports play in American life. The letter continues that protecting university independence safeguards this proud tradition.
Kerr and Rivers are joined by other coaches and athletic administrators. Signatories include former coaches Jim Boeheim and Muffet McGraw, both of whom have won NCAA basketball titles. Also signing are former Michigan coach John Beilein, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, and Phil Martelli.
Concerns Over Political Interference
The coaches and other athletic administrators who signed the letter said that political interference harms university culture. They state that this includes college athletics. They point to cuts to funding for research, censorship, intimidation of university leaders and faculty and having federal officers deployed to college campuses as examples of that interference.
“Right now, at both the federal and state levels, acts of political interference threaten the independence of our colleges and universities,” the letter said.
Call to Action
The letter asks that leaders and fans of college sports urge elected officials to support academic independence.
The coaches wrote, “When students are afraid to speak their minds, they cannot give their all.” They added, “When campuses are polarized, it’s hard to maintain the ‘one team’ spirit we instill in the locker room. Unprecedented political pressure on colleges and universities undercuts the values we have sought to instill in student-athletes.”
The letter is on the website of Stand For Campus Freedom. The organisation describes itself as a nonpartisan project that holds universities accountable to their highest ideals, resists political coercion and strengthens America’s leadership on the world stage.