Dealing with NCAA is a one-way street

The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions announced Monday that it was postponing the hearing for Chadron State College scheduled for Friday at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind.

What is lacking in this situation is an explanation, which is a courtesy any organization owes its dues paying members: Why was the meeting canceled?

On Jan. 17, The published an article stating that 14 individuals from CSC and the Nebraska State College System Office planned to attend the hearing.

Their schedules are now impacted due to the nature of the postponement.

The “why” element of this story that can’t be ignored due to the NCAA’s one-way approach to communications.

The Eagle attempted to contact the NCAA multiple times beginning Tuesday seeking the rationale for its decision.

As journalists, we strive to bring our readers accurate and timely information, but the short notice of the NCAA’s decision and their media silence has leaves us in the dark, without a lead.

Even the resources section of the NCAA website is a testament to this. A click of the Media Center link delivers not a phone number that you can call, or a even a direct email to submit queries. Instead, visitors are directed to a form with a quaint message:

“For assistance gathering information on NCAA-related topics, media members are encouraged to use the following automated form. Due to the high volume of inquiries, the NCAA public and media relations staff cannot guarantee a response to specific requests the same business day.”

The NCAA sees it fit to dictate what information people ought to know, and when they ought to know it.

If that’s how the NCAA treats dues paying members, maybe CSC would be better off to take business elsewhere.