Scheduling has been a big topic for the SEC this week during spring meetings. A possible conference-wide substance abuse policy is another issue league coaches and admins are attempting to tackle.
Via ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said the conference is examining the issue and a vote will take place on Friday. If the vote were to pass, the SEC would become the first conference with a mandatory substance-abuse policy for its athletes. As it currently stands, policies are implemented on the university level. ESPN reports that Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and LSU dismiss athletes after a fourth positive test, while the other 10 members dismiss an athlete after a third positive test.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to get down into the weeds as far as how many times you test, what are the measurements, what are the minimum [levels for a positive test],” McGarity said, pun possibly intended, “but we believe there should be some type of consistent penalty [for each positive test].”
The policy would be applicable for recreational drugs -- pot, cocaine, and the like -- and not performance-enhancing drugs (deer antler spray, y’all!), which the NCAA handles. But the details of how to come up with the policy -- frequency of testing, who, exactly, does the testing, punishments, etc -- could keep the SEC from voting in favor of it this time around.
It’s possible a conference-wide substance abuse policy could be implemented -- I think it should be implemented so that all expectations and criteria on the matter is on the same level -- it would just be surprising if it happens tomorrow.