Coaches and athletic leaders warn federal and state government interference at universities is harming student-athletes and putting college sports at risk
NEW YORK, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Prominent current and former college basketball coaches and athletic leaders — including Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Jim Boeheim, John Beilein, Muffet McGraw, and Tommy Amaker — today released a public letter warning that growing political interference in universities and colleges is undermining college sports and harming university culture and student-athletes across the country.
“Right now, at both the federal and state levels, acts of political interference threaten the independence of our colleges and universities,” the coaches write.
The coaches represent programs from the NBA, Division I, state schools and private institutions, the Ivy League, and community colleges. They are speaking out, as they write in the letter, because they are alarmed to see the independence and integrity of American universities come under political attack.
“College sports unite us as a nation, drawing out team spirit and shared values of fair play,” the coaches write. “Campuses — big and small, public and private, two- and four-year — are a bedrock foundation for the role sports play in American life. Protecting university independence safeguards this proud tradition.”
The coaches cite punitive cuts to research funding, censorship of curricula, intimidation of university leaders and faculty, and the deployment of federal enforcement officers on college campuses as actions that are dividing campuses and detracting from teaching, learning, and training athletes to excellence.
“When students are afraid to speak their minds, they cannot give their all,” the coaches write. “When campuses are polarized, it’s hard to maintain the ‘one team’ spirit we instill in the locker room. Unprecedented political pressure on colleges and universities undercuts the values we have sought to instill in student-athletes.”
The coaches are calling on college sports leaders to join their call to action and asking fans across the country to speak out by urging elected officials to allow colleges and universities to remain free and independent of political interference.
“We’re asking college sports leaders and fans across the country to stand with us. Tell your elected representatives to let universities remain free and independent. Stand for Campus Freedom.”
Current and former coaches and athletic leaders signing the letter include:
Steve Kerr — Head Coach, Golden State Warriors
Glenn “Doc” Rivers — Head Coach, Milwaukee Bucks
Tommy Amaker — Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Executive Fellow, Harvard University and Harvard Business School
John Beilein — Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Michigan
Jim Boeheim — Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Syracuse University
Jessie Carmack — Former Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Christian Brothers University
Ron Cottrell — Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Houston Christian University
Don DiJulia — Former Athletic Director, Saint Joseph’s University
James Jones — Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Yale University
Tina Krah — Former NCAA Director of Championships and Alliances, Women’s Basketball
Howard Levy — Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Mercer County Community College
Phil Martelli — Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Saint Joseph’s University
Muffet McGraw — Former Head Women’s Basketball Coach, University of Notre Dame
Joe McKeown — Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Northwestern University
Tim Murphy — Former Head Football Coach, University of Maine, University of Cincinnati, Harvard University
Jerrell Price — Former Director of Women’s Basketball Operations, George Mason University
Eric Reveno — Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach/General Manager, Stanford University
Samantha Smith — Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Judith Sweet — Former Athletic Director, University of California San Diego
Additional signatories are expected in the coming days.
Read the full letter here:
www.coachesforcampusfreedom.org
About Stand for Campus Freedom
Stand for Campus Freedom is a national movement of alumni, educators, and civic leaders working to protect the independence, academic freedom, and institutional integrity of America’s colleges and universities. The organization advocates for higher education to remain free from political interference so that students — including student-athletes — can thrive, compete, and lead in a pluralistic democracy. www.standforcampusfreedom.org
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SOURCE Coaches for Campus Freedom
