NCAA to Implement Drug Testing

The NCAA, facing a congressional probe into drug use in big-time college sports, will implement what it calls the most demanding drug-testing program in the nation, including testing athletes for street drugs and steroids.

The testing will be limited to the championship playoffs and will start with 1986 fall sports, NCAA spokesman Jim Marchiony said Tuesday.

In football, the testing will begin during the Division I-AA, Division II and Division III playoffs and will include testing of Division I-A players who participate in bowl games.

The testing is part of a wide-ranging anti-drug package that includes drug education programs for athletes, Marchiony said. It was approved earlier this year at the NCAA’s annual convention, although the details were not announced.

“It’s the most demanding testing program of any sports organization in the United States,” Marchiony said. “It’s more than a drug-testing program. It’s a drug education program that also includes drug testing.”

The NCAA is opposed to legislation that would establish a federal commission to investigate drug use and the balance between athletes and academics in major college sports.