January 31, 2003

Trustee Group Plans to Join With Faculty Senates in Bid to Change College Sports

By JULIANNE BASINGER and WELCH SUGGS

College trustees are often avid sports fans, and they have sometimes been known to go overboard to support teams at their institutions.

They've sided with football coaches over their presidents, meddled in the affairs of athletics departments, and even, in one infamous incident at Southern Methodist University, helped to bankroll a scheme to pay players under the table.

Now, however, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges says it wants to team up with