Recent disturbing developments at the University of Missouri and the school’s athletic department should sound a loud alarm for Kansas University officials, as well as those in academic and athletic posts at all universities.

Unfortunately, the situation at MU is just one more incident in the seemingly ever-growing number of wrongful actions associated with collegiate athletics.

In the Missouri matter, a highly talented basketball player, Ricky Clemons, was recruited to play for the Tigers in spite of his questionable academic record. Never mind his personal behavior. Although the Missouri coach, athletic director, perhaps even the school’s president and others, should have been interested and involved in the type of players being recruited, those in Columbia who have been quoted on the situation claim they had no idea there might be illegal or questionable actions related to Clemons’ admission to the school.

This is hard to believe when it is known he had to “earn” more than 20 hours of academic credit during the summer before enrolling at MU. This would be a tremendous, almost unheard-of achievement, even for a gifted, talented student.

Who is kidding whom? Either the coach was derelict or didn’t care what may have taken place to make his star recruit eligible. Added to this are claims by Clemons’ former girlfriend that, on numerous occasions, the player received cash and clothing from someone inside the MU athletic department as well as questionable help with his studies.

The coach claims everything is on the up-and-up although both the FBI and NCAA are investigating the situation. Also, the university president has appointed a faculty member to investigate the athletic department and any questionable policies or actions that may have occurred in the basketball offices or other departments.

There are reports that some of the basketball program’s biggest boosters, specifically the basketball coach’s major supporters, have said the school’s athletic director, as well as the school’s president, may come under fire and face pressure to leave, but every effort will be made to protect the basketball coach.

As one individual very knowledgeable about the collegiate sports scene noted, it is VERY dangerous when a family controls, or tries to control, an athletic department. This is compounded when a coach thinks he has the power to behave however he wishes, that he or she is immune to prosecution and can act in an arrogant manner. Apparently this was the case with former Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel, who recently was fired as football coach at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, there are others who share this corrupted thinking and behavior.

Time and time again, whether it is a situation such as the Nixon presidential disgrace, the recent Baylor tragedy or maybe some wrongdoing that will be discovered at Missouri, there is the question of why people don’t learn from past mistakes. Why lie, cheat and try to beat the law?

As noted several weeks ago in the Journal-World, with a new athletic director, a new basketball coach, a relatively new football coach and a number of new hires at Allen Fieldhouse, it is hoped every effort is being made to hammer home the point that KU will not tolerate questionable or illegal activities by anyone in the athletic family.

There are far more than enough examples throughout collegiate athletics of the embarrassing and damaging consequences of not playing by the rules.

Kansas Jayhawk fans want their teams to win, but they also want them to win by following the rules.