A while back, we noticed Outsports had a news item about the NCAA teaming up with the National Center for Lesbian Rights to address the issue of "negative recruiting" -- coaches using the tactic of homophobia to deter recruits from attending a rival school.

The NCAA's Leilana McKindra writes about the panel of 30 or so coaches, administrators and student-athletes who joined representatives from the NCLR for the first National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Think Tank. Said McKindra:

Though think-tank participants acknowledged that references to negative recruiting already appear in codes of ethics and other policies at several schools, conferences and other organizations, the practice remains popular because of its effectiveness and the lack of serious repercussions.

While enforcement is a challenge, think-tank participants pointed to the most recent version of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association code of ethics as a best-practice approach. The WBCA code presents a specific process for addressing complaints about the conduct of its members and a range of penalties that includes being ineligible for a position on the WBCA board for up to five years, being prohibited from purchasing Women’s Final Four tickets, and even suspension of membership.

Josh, over at his NCAA blog, mentioned the meeting, calling it "a significant step for intercollegiate athletics and higher education."