Email to B1G commissioner Tony Petitti
Dear Tony,
“I look forward to our meeting and am writing now to share some of my deeply held beliefs, which I hope can inform our conversation and guide what we do next.
“None of us wants to be in this situation. The University of Michigan
takes its compliance obligations seriously. We are committed to ethics,
integrity, and fair play. It is at our core and always will be. And
that is why I am so deeply concerned about the allegations.
“We
are fully cooperating with the NCAA in its investigation, as it seeks
to separate the facts from irresponsible speculation seen in much of the
public and social media discourse.
“It’s precisely at these
times — when all key facts are not known but others are all too
comfortable offering strongly held opinion — that it is essential
for everyone to ensure that investigations are conducted fairly and that
conclusions are based on what actually happened. The reputation and
livelihoods of coaches, students, and programs cannot be sacrificed in a
rush to judgment, no matter how many and how loudly people protest
otherwise. Due process matters.
“We, as would any other member
of the Big 10, deserve nothing less. Our students, our coaches,
our program—all are entitled to a fair, deliberate, thoughtful
process. We are aware that other representatives of the Big10 are
demanding that you take action now, before any meaningful investigation
and full consideration of all the evidence. That is not something our
conference rules permit. And we both know it is not what any other
member would want if allegations were raised against their people or
programs.
“The Big 10 has not informed us of any investigation
of its own, as would be required under conference rules. And, to be
clear, oral updates from NCAA enforcement staff do not and cannot
constitute evidence, nor do we think the NCAA would ever intend for an
oral update to be given that meaning or weight.
“The best
course of action, the one far more likely to ascertain the facts, is to
await the results of the NCAA investigation. But if you refuse to let
the NCAA investigative process play out, the Big 10 may not take any
action against the University or its players or coaches
without commencing its own investigation and offering us the opportunity
to provide our position. That is not just required by our conference
rules; it is a matter of basic fairness. “
Sincerely,
Santa J. Ono
President
University of Michigan
