geelong cats considering changes to security approach after accused stalker targets Paige Bueckers
“The security and safety of our people, not just our student-athletes but our coaches, is critical,” athletic director David Benedict said Wednesday. “Whether it’s day to day on campus or as our student-athletes are engaging in athletic activity, we’ve got to probably look at and change some things that we do. Certainly on the road, we’re thinking and talking about what, if anything, we need to modify. And education is going to be paramount for people who want to focus on building their brand through social media. There are a lot of things that come with being a high-profile student-athlete and I think security is going to be another one of those hot button issues we’ve got to address.”
The college sports world has changed dramatically with the expansion of social media and the introduction of name, image and likeness initiatives. Fame is lucrative but isn’t easy, and more and more college athletes are now famous. Student-athletes market themselves and monetize their brands, advancing business opportunities and, in some cases, adding a layer of vulnerability to their lives.
“It’s a new game,” said Robert McDonald, a lecturer in the University of New Haven criminal justice department who previously worked in NBA security and for the United States Secret Service. “We have to become nimble in how to handle that. (Bueckers) is a college kid. Just like when we used to protect the Bush girls and the Obama girls — now Trump’s son is going to NYU — you want to allow them the space they need to be college kids and college athletes and go have a little fun. On the flip side, we need to keep them safe and we need to protect them. UConn, I’m sure, is already figuring out an implementation with their police department to give her the protection she is going to need.
“And we have to remember, they’re still kids. Even though they’re in an element of professional athleticism with NIL and everything else … it brings those same problems if you’re with the New York Knicks. And, quite frankly, from a national level, she might be more recognizable than somebody who is on the Knicks.”