Unique role (and problem) of faculty athletics representatives

Interesting story in this week's Chronicle of High Education. One of the contributors to my forthcoming book on the Duke Lacrosse scandal wrote about faculty oversight of athletics (or lack thereof), particularly the conflicts-of-interest that the athletics reps face. These problems contribute to the perception (if not reality) that college sports (and athletes) are out-of-control and unregulated. It was not an issue in the Duke situation, although it arguably is in many other situations of athlete misbehavior.