College athletics administrators trying to beat everyone to the punch

Should it be surprising that there are so many issues surrounding college athletics programs today?

This is not a new problem, and it is one that is easier to get information about instantly and constantly than in the past. That is why you will see many more press conferences and interviews being held by athletics administrators around the country to break the news themselves.Silence in these situations is not advisable. University of North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour did just that on Wednesday. He beat everyone to punch and stated that "we will have some violations."

NCAA Violation 2010: What an NCAA violation looks like

Local blogs can stop hypothesizing if UNC will be cited for NCAA rules infractions. Baddour has stated that they will. Part of the fire has been doused, but there is still much more to fan the fire with. Some questions that many will be asking and have been talking about already:

• How bad will the violations and potential sanctions be?
• Will Butch Davis be fired?
• Will Dick Baddour retire?
• Will Chancellor Thorp step down?

The University of North Carolina athletics department is undergoing an NCAA investigation and a public-relations nightmare that it never would have expected considering its history as a successful academic and athletic institution. However, with the current situation that exists, has success at UNC come at the expense of a problem that existed previously and now it has finally been revealed? How far will the 'UNC family' allow its name to be disgraced? Many high-level administrators, board members, and political figures are now weighing in on the matter, so it is a serious matter.

High-level Division I athletics programs are comprised of many 'moving parts' and involve many individuals working hard to achieve success, but at what price? The problems being encountered at the University of North Carolina are not the first, will not be the last for any institution to endure, and begs the question, is this what happens everywhere else? Probably, but you can never be fully sure until the facts come out.

At least one thing is sure about the operation of collegiate athletics programs in an academic environment today, you learn something new everyday whether you like it or not.