A story on Sports Illustrated's web site says suspended Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson broke the team honor code by cheating on a test.
This story resonates in Utah, where BYU's Spencer Hadley recently served a suspension for an honor code violation. Many complained that the Cougars should merely have said Hadley had been suspended for violation of team rules.My argument is that in so doing, Hadley's visit to a Las Vegas club would be relegated to the same status as a player who misses a team meeting. Announcing that it is an honor code violation is the fairest way to treat such suspensions.
Golson's suspension was announced last spring, but the school cited privacy laws in not giving specifics. Later Golson admitted it was an honor code violation. Cheating on a test is indeed a bigger deal than mouthing off to a coach in practice or refusal to do running drills. That's why specifying when it it an honor code violation is the logical choice. Golson told S.I. it "humbling" to sit on the sideline while the Irish play.
I don't think all the details are always necessary, but separating normal team rule violations and honor code violations is a fair move.