NCAA urged to formulate concussion penalties

A US congressman prominently involved with traumatic brain injury issues wants the NCAA to penalize schools that violate concussion management guidelines.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) sent a letter Wednesday to NCAA president Mark Emmert urging the association to create mandatory guidelines about how to care for concussions, according to a copy released by Pascrell's office. Pascrell previously wrote to Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany asking the Big Ten to investigate Michigan's mishandling of concussed quarterback Shane Morris and to assess penalties for violating the conference's concussion protocol.

"In his response to me, Commissioner Delany declined to address that request," Pascrell wrote in his letter to Emmert. "If individual conferences are not going to monitor and penalize concussion management protocol violations, the NCAA must step in and assume that responsibility."

Pascrell is co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. He helped get legislation passed in 2010 after the death of a New Jersey high school football player. The law called for the US Department of Health and Human Services to develop guidelines and protocols for the management and treatment of sports-related concussions.

In September, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline said the association continues to discuss the possibility of turning its concussion guidelines into legislation. The NCAA is in the process of trying to get court approval for a $75 million class-action settlement related to concussions.

Pascrell noted in his letter to Emmert that the settlement would not include funds being used for players' medical costs but would require schools to follow certain concussion-management procedures.

"Let me be clear," Pascrell wrote, "in order for any concussion protocols you are considering adopting in order to comply with this settlement to be effective, there must be penalties associated with the violation of them."

Pascrell noted that NCAA rules govern a wide array of behavior by schools and individuals and cited examples of recruiting violations that resulted in penalties.

"I think we can both agree that if the NCAA has rules and penalties governing the size of envelopes permitted to be sent to recruits, it should have mandatory protocols and penalties for handling something as serious as head injuries," Pascrell wrote.

Morris' concussion as Michigan's quarterback brought national attention on how schools manage symptoms of head injuries. Morris initially continued to play, left the game, and then returned for one more play. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, who has since resigned, apologized for "miscommunication" that resulted in Morris continuing to play. Michigan has said it has new safeguards to prevent that from happening again.

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NCAA urged to formulate concussion penalties