When a Nihon University student on its American football team was arrested on illegal drug possession charges, causing the team to suspend training, it rekindled discussions about whether collective responsibility — or having the entire team take the blame for one member’s wrongdoing — is an appropriate response.
The reasoning behind the punishment approach, which has seen a lot of pushback over the past few decades, has been that student athletes should be held to a stricter standard, and that it has educational purposes.
But experts in student sports say that while there are still circumstances where it is an appropriate measure, the practice is outdated and unfair on student athletes.