June 26, 2008

Kansas City, Mo. - The Board of Directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches recognizes the importance of affirmative action programs in expanding opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women in university admissions and employment.

Therefore, the NABC Board of Directors opposes the deceptively-titled "Civil Rights Initiatives" currently being proposed in Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska that would, if enacted, threaten access programs in those states.

"Rather than eliminate opportunities for minority students being attacked by these initiatives, we must look to provide greater college opportunities for all low-income kids," said NABC President Tubby Smith, head coach at the University of Minnesota. "We need to take a broader, more inclusive perspective of our society."

The Board encourages both NABC members and the public in those states to refuse to sign petitions to put these initiatives on the ballot, and to vote against any such initiative if it appears on the ballot.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.