NFL Can't Keep Out Felons If Colleges Protect Them

The NFL will ban prospective draftees with domestic violence, sexual assault, or weapons convictions from attending the annual scouting combine. But as long as colleges and teams go to great lengths to protect players who have been accused of such crimes, this new policy shift won't change much.

Case in point: On Tuesday, six women filed a federal Title IX lawsuit against the University of Tennessee, accusing the school of fostering a culture that enables sexual assault by athletes who can be all but sure they won't be thoroughly investigated or prosecuted. Five of the six women say they were raped, in events dating back to 1995, by three former football players, a former basketball player, and a non-athlete. According to the civil suit, "UT intentionally acted by an official policy of deliberate indifference to known sexual assaults" creating a "severely hostile sexual environment."