UW Sports
UW athletics 'culture' faces an outside review

By Duff Wilson
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Lee Huntsman, University of Washington interim president, is laying plans for a broad outside review of the relationship between the university and its troubled athletic department.

Huntsman told associates in recent days that he wants to recruit a retired university president of national stature to lead the work, starting in January.

"We've talked about that, but we don't have anybody signed, sealed and delivered yet," Norm Arkans, UW vice president for external affairs, confirmed yesterday.

Huntsman was not available for comment.

The review would examine "the culture down there" in the athletic program and "the culture up here" in the university administration, another official said. The main campus is on a hill above the athletic department.

Huntsman is described as very unhappy with an unfolding series of scandals including:

• Gambling, lying and recruiting violations by former football coach Rick Neuheisel, who is suing the UW for firing him.

• Recruiting violations by assistant basketball coach Cameron Dollar, which led to a two-year probation of the men's basketball program.

• Uncontrolled dispensing of narcotic and prescription drugs by Dr. William Scheyer, former UW team physician. He is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorney's Office and the State Patrol's drug-investigation unit.

• Athletic director Barbara Hedges' inability or failure to control those problems.

Yesterday Hedges, whose contract was extended recently to June 2004, declined to discuss her future, except to say she will be present in January for the $18 million renovation of the crew house, the final piece of the $70 million facilities-improvement campaign under her 13-year watch.

The review discussed by Huntsman is separate from the review already being conducted by Chuck Smrt, a private consultant who worked for the NCAA for 17 years and began talking to people on campus two weeks ago. Smrt's review has been characterized by UW officials as "a remedial measure."

Huntsman's proposed review would instead cover the big picture, including values in the athletic department and "the perceived relationship between the athletics department and the rest of the institution, and vice versa," Arkans said.

"What we've talked about, but haven't nailed anything down yet, is after the first of the year asking a small team of folks to come help us look at the department," Arkans added.

A retired university president would be somebody with the time and skills to do it, he said.

Both reviews may contribute to a more detailed self-

examination by UW officials during a scheduled NCAA accreditation review for the athletic department next year.

The NCAA started an athletic-certification program in 1993, analogous to the certifications for business, law and medical schools.

"The point of it, the goal, is to assure commitment to integrity in athletics," NCAA spokeswoman Kay Hawes said yesterday.

The NCAA review covers four areas: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; fiscal integrity; and equity, welfare and sportsmanship.

The UW athletics program was first certified in 1997 and faces its first review starting in February, Hawes said yesterday. That process, including extensive self-reports, public input and evaluation by peers, is scheduled to end in April 2005 with a decision by the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification.

The certification process is separate from, and more public than, any NCAA investigations into infractions, Hawes added.

Arkans said the "fresh set of eyes" of a small team of prestigious outside reviewers would help focus the issues, and help the president.

Duff Wilson: 206-464-2288 or dwilson@seattletimes.com. Seattle Times staffers Blaine Newnham and Bob Condotta also contributed to this article.

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