Case Title: National Collegiate Athletic Ass'n v. Gillard

Citation: 352 So. 2d 1072

Docket Number: 49739

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1977-12-07T00:00:00Z

Document:
352 So. 2d 1072 (1977) NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION and Walter Byers v. Larry J. GILLARD, by and through Bob Tyler, as next friend, and Mississippi State University. No. 49739. Supreme Court of Mississippi. December 7, 1977. Threadgill & Smith, William J. Threadgill, Taylor B. Smith, Columbus, George H. Gangwere, Kansas City, Mo., for appellants. *1073 Harry N. Rayburn, Jr., Stennett, Wilkinson & Ward, Erwin C. Ward, Dixon L. Pyles, Jackson, for appellees. Before SMITH, LEE and BOWLING, JJ. BOWLING, Justice, for the Court: This is an appeal from the decrees of the Chancery Court of Oktibbeha County granting appellees, Mississippi State University and Larry J. Gillard, preliminary and permanent injunctions against appellants, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Walter Byers, the Association's executive director. The preliminary injunction was granted on September 19, 1975, and the permanent injunction was granted at the conclusion of a hearing on April 27, 1976. We first need to dispose of appellees' "Motion to Dismiss Appeal for Mootness" filed on November 3, 1977. The allegation of the motion was to the effect that as appellee Larry Gillard was concluding his collegiate football athletic career under the preliminary and permanent injunctions, a review of the lower court's action is moot. Appellants filed opposition to the motion to dismiss for mootness, alleging that as there is a primary constitutional question involved to which this Court has not addressed itself, the Court should render a decision on this question. We agree and therefore deny appellees' motion to dismiss. At the outset, we state in plain and unmistakable language that the issues raised in this cause are solely questions of law. A careful study of the record as applied to positive legal principles leaves this Court with only one choice. We must reverse and dismiss the cause. Because of the widespread interest in the case and possible misunderstanding of the issues, we shall discuss them fully and plainly as possible. Appellees filed their sworn bill of complaint requesting that appellants be enjoined from taking action that would prevent appellee, Larry Gillard, from participating in football games the remainder of the 1975 season. It was contended that Gillard was not accorded due process of law when NCAA declared him ineligible for that period of time. The principal allegation for this contention was that he was not a member of the NCAA and was not given sufficient opportunity to be heard through his school, Mississippi State University. It was contended that the actions of NCAA were contrary to the due process requirements of Article 3, section 14, of the Mississippi Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. To get a clear picture of circumstances and events leading to this contention, we relate them from the beginning. First, what is the NCAA? It is a voluntary association composed of approximately 828 colleges and universities. It has a constitution, bylaws, and rules and regulations. These are made, changed and amended at the annual meetings of the association. Representatives of all members are supposed to be at each annual meeting. Between these meetings the activities of the association are in charge of a "council," composed of eighteen members the president and secretary-treasurer, both of whom are elected by the convention, and sixteen vice presidents. The membership area is divided into eight districts; each elects a vice president. The convention elects eight vice presidents at large. This council then represents all sections of the country. Various committees are formed as shall be discussed later. A full-time administrative staff is employed, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. The primary purpose for this voluntary association is set out in its constitution, which reads as follows: *1074 On December 17, 1964, the Mississippi Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning adopted certain policies on athletics, one of which was "standards of the NCAA and appropriate regional conferences shall be the standards of the several athletic departments." As stated above, the voluntary members of the association adopt rules and regulations to carry out its purpose. These resulted in the following facts and circumstances as plainly shown by the record in the case. Mr. Charles N. Shira, Director of Athletics for appellee, Mississippi State University, received a letter dated March 6, 1975, from Warren S. Brown, Assistant Executive Director of NCAA in charge of investigating possible rule or regulation violations. This letter was forwarded as required by these rules and was as follows: After investigations by NCAA representatives as required by the rules, Dr. Giles, President of Mississippi State University, received a confidential letter from Mr. Brown, dated April 30, 1975. Again, this letter was written as required by NCAA rules to permit the University to make a thorough and independent investigation of possible violations found by the association. This letter was as follows: The record does not contain all possible charges included in the attachment to the letter. One of the possible violations was *1076 directed to a charge that Larry Gillard, during the fall of 1974, obtained articles of clothing from Howard's Clothing Store in Okolona, Mississippi, at a discount; that the store was owned by one Howard Miskelly, a representative of the University's athletic interests. By letter of May 13, 1975, Dr. Giles was notified by the association of possible violations other than those attached to the letter of April 30. After receiving the letter of April 30, Dr. Giles appointed a committee of four staff and faculty members to conduct an investigation and prepare a report on all alleged violations, including that involving Gillard. Legal counsel was employed. A lengthy investigation was conducted. Depositions and statements were taken from many people, including Gillard. According to testimony, the report prepared by the committee and its attorneys was voluminous, containing hundreds of pages. Unfortunately this Court does not have the benefit of any part of that report. It was not introduced in evidence at the trial of the cause. There was testimony that a detailed statement was secured from Gillard and he was advised of the part of the investigation relating to him. In due course, the entire report was forwarded to the association. The letter of April 30 requested the report by July 1. This date was extended upon request by Mississippi State University until August 1. In accordance with NCAA rules, Dr. Giles received another confidential letter dated July 24, 1975, regarding the hearing before the Committee on Infractions. It reads as follows: A hearing was held before the NCAA Committee on Infractions on Monday, August 25, 1975. In attendance were Dr. Giles, Mr. Bob Tyler, head football coach, several assistant coaches, and attorneys Erwin Ward and Harry Rayburn. According to Dr. Giles, Mississippi State University was represented by Attorney Erwin Ward but was not represented by Attorney Harry Rayburn. It should be noted here that in all proceedings subsequent to the meeting before the Committee on Infractions, Mr. Rayburn was the attorney of record for Larry Gillard individually. By "confidential" letter dated September 10, 1976, Dr. Giles was forwarded the report and findings of the Committee on Infractions. Again the Court does not have the benefit, if any, of that official report except as it pertained to Larry Gillard; it might have been material in subsequent events regarding appeals. The evidence does show that the Committee found Mississippi State University to be guilty of twenty violations. The Gillard matter was number eleven. The letter transmitting the findings of violations was as follows: The violation findings accompanying the letter found in regard to Gillard that "during the fall of 1974, through the arrangements of Howard Miskelly, a representative of the University's athletic interests, student athlete Larry Gillard, on at least two occasions, obtained articles of clothing at a 1/3 discount from Howard's Clothing Store, Okolona, Mississippi." The penalty set out under violation No. 11 (Larry Gillard) ruled Gillard to be ineligible to participate further in football contests involving the University. For reasons known only to appellees, the University chose not to appeal the findings of the Committee on Infractions to the NCAA Council. It could have appealed from all twenty violation findings or could have appealed only that involving Gillard. It should be noted that Gillard would have been eligible to play pending an appeal. Another recourse open to appellees under NCAA rules and regulations was to request a hearing before the Committee on Eligibility, which has the authority to change the ineligibility penalty imposed by the Committee on Infractions. Appellees chose this course of action. The request for a hearing was made by Coach Bob Tyler in the form of a letter to the committee. This letter dated September 15, 1975, was as follows: We submit the following: As a result of this letter, the Committee arranged a telephone conference in which all parties, including Gillard, participated. By letter dated September 18, 1975, to Coach Tyler, he was advised that Gillard's ineligibility penalty had been reduced from total ineligibility to only the remainder of the 1975 season, which was his sophomore year. He would remain on full scholarship, including all benefits of lodging, food, education, physical equipment, and any other advantage he was enjoying. Everything would remain the same except not playing in the football games the remainder of that season. This letter was as follows: No appeal was taken from the above committee findings; rather, on September 19, the day after the letter was written, a "bill of complaint for temporary injunction, permanent injunction, and other relief" was filed in the Chancery Court of Oktibbeha County by Larry Gillard and Mississippi State University. The sworn bill of complaint was signed by Dr. Giles for Mississippi State University, and by Bob Tyler as next friend of Gillard, a minor, then twenty years of age. The principal contention in the suit, as hereinbefore stated, was that the actions of the NCAA were in violation of Gillard's constitutional rights in that he was not granted due process of law. The defendants named in the suit were NCAA and Walter Byers, its executive director. On September 19, 1975, without notice to the defendants, the chancellor ordered a writ of injunction issued prohibiting NCAA from carrying out its prior findings and from interfering in any way with the participation of Gillard in intercollegiate sports. Summons was then issued to the defendants to respond to the suit and appear to answer the request to make the injunction permanent. As a result of the preliminary injunction, Gillard participated in football games the remainder of the 1975 season. Appellants appeared and filed their answer. On January 28, 1976, an amended bill of complaint was filed. This was answered on February 16, 1976, and a trial was had on April 6, 1976. We shall discuss the evidence introduced as it relates to the legal questions involved. The chancellor concluded that the complainant Gillard had "a constitutionally protected right" to participate in intercollegiate athletics and that he had been deprived of that right under the facts and circumstances presented. He further found that the internal rules, regulations and operations of the association could be voided by the court because Gillard, personally, was not a member of the association. The chancellor then issued a permanent injunction prohibiting NCAA from interfering with the right of Gillard to engage in intercollegiate athletics his junior and senior years. It is noteworthy that this is exactly what the NCAA Committee on Infractions had agreed to on September 18, 1975. As stated at the outset, the disposition of this case is controlled solely by legal precedents. This was recognized by the chancellor when he said: The lower court's statement that his decision was "unfounded by legal precedent in this State" is true. The question has not heretofore been presented in this State. He failed to state, however, that the question had been presented to many other courts, both state and federal, and his decree *1081 was contrary to all of them. This Court is persuaded by those precedents. The basic decision of the case then is the simple statement that Gillard's "right" to engage in intercollegiate football is not a "property" right that falls within the due process clause of either section 14 of the Mississippi Constitution or the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, both of which are identical. The reason for this principle is found in the following cases: Howard University, et al. v. NCAA, 166 U.S.App.D.C. 260, 510 F.2d 213 (1975); Parish, et al. v. National Collegiate Athletic Ass'n., 506 F.2d 1028 (5th Cir.1975); Associated Students, Inc., etc. v. NCAA, 493 F.2d 1251 (9th Cir.1974); Mitchell v. Louisiana High School Athletic Ass'n., 430 F.2d 1155 (5th Cir.1970); Oklahoma High School Athletic Ass'n. v. Bray, 321 F.2d 269 (10th Cir.1963); Scott v. Kilpatrick, 286 Ala. 129, 237 So. 2d 652 (1970); Sult v. Gilbert, 3 So. 2d 729 (Fla. 1941); Sanders v. Louisiana High School Athletic Ass'n., 242 So. 2d 19 (La. 1970); State, ex rel. Missouri, State High School Activities Ass'n. v. Schoenlaub, 507 S.W.2d 354 (Mo. 1974); Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Ass'n. v. Cox, 221 Tenn. 164, 425 S.W.2d 597 (1968). We shall not quote from all these cases. All of them, both federal and state, reach the same result. In Howard University v. NCAA, supra, we find the following: In Parish, supra, the Court said: In Scott v. Kilpatrick, supra, the Supreme Court of Alabama said: In 68 Am.Jur.2d, Schools, section 244, we find: The Supreme Court of Tennessee, in Tennessee Athletic Ass'n. v. Cox, supra, said: As heretofore stated, the lower court found that Gillard's rights were not protected as Mississippi State University was the member of the NCAA and not Gillard, and that the actions of Mississippi State University were not adequate to protect Gillard's rights. We have carefully studied all of the above cited cases and others and find that his position was protected and advocated as much as any person involved in those cases. NCAA's letter of April 30, 1975, stated that "in addition, any University student-athlete identified in an allegation may be present during the discussion of that allegation if such is the desire of the University." This letter also listed the five members of the NCAA Committee on Infractions. They included professors of law from the University of Kentucky, University of Washington, and University of Texas. It also included faculty members of the University of Northern Colorado and Wake Forest University. This Court may take judicial knowledge that these law professors are noted for advocating the protection of constitutional rights of every person. Again, the initial letter setting out violations dated July 24, 1975, and setting up the first hearing, stated that, "also, student athletes enrolled in the University may be present as institutional representatives for the discussion of allegations for which they are identified if such is the desire of the University." Attorney Harry Rayburn, Gillard's personal attorney, attended and participated in the hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions. The Committee on Eligibility, while giving the complainants substantial relief, on advising of appeal rights even from that decision, stated: As seen above, no appeal was taken. At the hearing on the permanent injunction, Gillard testified that he was perfectly satisfied with the way Coach Tyler handled the matter. Dr. Giles testified that everything had been done that could have been done to protect Gillard's rights. Regarding this, it is significant that although Coach Tyler signed the sworn bill of complaint as next friend of Gillard, he was not called to testify at the trial. An exhaustive investigation was made by Mississippi State University on behalf of Gillard and the report was filed with the NCAA prior to the hearing before the Committee on Infractions. As heretofore stated, this was not included in the record before this Court and we do not know its contents. However, Dr. Giles testified that it was a thorough investigation of the Gillard allegations. It is clear that the protection of Gillard's rights was paramount in the minds of everyone concerned. That protection, however, had to come within the framework of the association. Due to the disposition of the case on the constitutional ground there is no need to reach the next assignment of error, that is, that Mississippi State University for itself and Gillard did not exhaust the administrative remedies available. Admittedly this was not done. The right to appeal was refused by appellee of every decision made by NCAA committees. The authorities are *1083 clear that the administrative remedies should be invoked before resorting to the courts. Everitt v. Lovitt, 192 So. 2d 422 (Miss. 1966); Davis v. Barr, 250 Miss. 54, 157 So. 2d 505 (1963); Scott v. Lowe, 223 Miss. 312, 78 So. 2d 452 (1955); Ward, et al. v. David & Johnathan Lodge, 90 Miss. 116, 43 So. 302 (1907). We therefore conclude that the courts cannot "make rules" to govern amateur athletics. All we can do is to apply legal precedents to the rules promulgated by the associations involved. This case was considered by a conference of the Judges en banc, and it is the opinion of the Court that the judgment of the court below should be and it is reversed and the cause dismissed. REVERSED AND DISMISSED. All Justices concur, except SUGG, J., who took no part.