Experts and longtime NCAA observers say that a combination of factors is at play, but it boils down to this: The risks—and stakes—are higher for the association in 2021.
“They’re in such a prime location to show like, ‘This is what accountability looks like. This is what allyship looks like,’ ” says Jen Fry, a former college athlete who has consulted with the NCAA on diversity issues. “And they didn’t do it right.”