UM board to talk athletics

When the UM System Board of Curators next meets, members are likely to discuss possible changes to the role they play in intercollegiate athletics.

At a meeting Friday in St. Louis, curators asked University of Missouri System President Elson Floyd to speak with MU Chancellor Brady Deaton on that point and make a recommendation to the board at the July meeting.

At issue is the level of the board’s involvement in, and knowledge of, the affairs of athletic departments at each of the system’s four campuses. Right now, athletic departments and directors, including MU athletic director Mike Alden, are under the supervision of the campus chancellor — although the board is free to weigh in on anything it wants to.

The question of greater board involvement came to public attention in the weeks and months following the departure of MU men’s basketball coach Quin Snyder.

However, Curator John Carnahan III, of Springfield, said Monday that the curators’ desire to be better kept in the loop about individual athletic departments is unrelated to Snyder’s resignation. He said the board’s request that Floyd meet with Deaton stems from the fact that the Columbia campus is by far the largest and a Big 12 sports conference member, so what works for MU would probably work for the other UM schools.

“I don’t look for it to change — that each athletic department will stay under the jurisdiction of its campus,” Carnahan said. He said the board wants to be more informed about how athletic departments are doing overall and financially, team rankings, and graduation rates and grade point averages of student athletes.

Curator Marion Cairns said there is no need for greater board involvement. “I think it’s a campus matter,” said Cairns of Webster Groves, “because I think it’s the chancellors at each campus’ responsibility.”

Mary Jo Banken, director of the MU News Bureau, said the chancellor will meet with Floyd to discuss under what circumstances board involvement would be necessary and how great an influence, if any, curators should exercise.