On March 4, Brandon Davies, a sophomore student at Brigham Young University, was suspended from the school’s basketball team not for selling a jersey or championship ring in exchange for a tattoo, not for accepting a new car from school boosters, and definitely not for driving drunk.

Instead, Davies was suspended for violating the school’s honor code and having premarital sex with his girlfriend of several years.

BYU, a private school affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, requires students to “live a chaste and virtuous life.” Simply put, unless Davies put a ring on it, he’s not allowed to engage in any form of sexual activity while enrolled at the university.

Really? In most locker rooms Davies would be high-fived and congratulated by his teammates but at BYU he’s been painted with a scarlet letter. He was suspended from the team for the remainder of the season as the No. 8 Cougars prepared to take on TCU Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Championships.

While several other universities violate not only school honor codes but also NCAA rules on an almost-daily basis, the actions taken against Davies are extreme. The Cougars’ honor code also states students are to “abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse; and attend church regularly.” Dropping any profanity is also strictly forbidden and grounds for removal, but I highly doubt that Davies would be suspended if “damn” escaped his lips after a missed shot.

I commend the university for sticking to university principles, and other schools around the country could (and should) take note when it comes to punishing offenders, but not when it comes to dictating how an athlete’s personal life should be lived. However, BYU did slip up in allowing Davies to sit on the bench with his team for the final game of the season; however his name is no longer listed on the team’s official roster. If that’s not a contradiction, I don’t know what is.

The issue raises the question that if BYU, a school that has only recently emerged as a strong sports school, were to suddenly fall under investigation for a more serious rule infringement, would the university stand behind the honor code as diligently as it has in the case with Davies? Or would it feign innocence until proven guilty as so many other schools across the country do?

When Ohio State failed to suspend five players from the Sugar Bowl for selling team paraphernalia in exchange for tattoos, Buckeye Nation rallied behind the NCAA turning a blind eye to the violations. At USC, Reggie Bush was forced to turn in his Heisman Trophy after it was discovered that he was receiving money under the table from boosters. At the time, the school and head coach “failed to notice” what was really going on and only acknowledged what had happened after Bush and the coach had moved on.

But how did BYU even find out about Davies’ actions? I find it very unlikely that Davies turned himself in, although he did admit to his actions when confronted by head coach Dave Rose. Did a teammate snitch? Did the girlfriend get mad and turn her back on him?

In other instances that involve athletes getting caught, but not necessarily getting punished, where does the university and NCAA need to draw the line in what is truly offensive compared to just an honor code violation? In the case of Ohio State, USC and Cam Newton at Auburn, these players’ actions truly harmed the reputation of the respective programs, but whom did Davies hurt by engaging in an activity that is sure to still occur on such a religious campus?

If BYU officials are going to suspend Davies for having sex with his girlfriend, they might as well surrender the rest of the season, as I’m sure more than one player has taken a sip of caffeine or uttered a profanity in the span of the six-month season.

Since Davies’ suspension, the team has managed to cling to a Top 10 ranking but do not tout the power-house offensive performances they were known for early in the season. Now, not only is Davies paying the price for his actions but the team, student body and Cougar community are also suffering as the team fell from being the No. 3 team in the country to No. 8 heading into the conference tournament.

Prior to his suspension, Davies averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game as the team’s third-best scorer and leader on the boards. While it is still unclear if Davies will be allowed to remain at BYU (and this late in the game, if nothing has been said, it’s safe to say he’s staying), the coach is confident he will return to next year’s starting lineup.

Again, good job BYU on standing by your beliefs but let’s see you fulfill the same promise to punish a player when it’s the football team’s starting quarterback carrying the team to a bowl game.

Nicole Jacobsen is a senior journalism and advertising double major. She can be reached for comment or questions at [email protected].