It’s an odd sort of logic: UNC-Chapel Hill lawyered up and made its case to the NCAA: It admitted it held phony classes that never met; it admitted football and basketball players were in the classes – but said none of that’s a problem because phony classes don’t violate NCAA rules.

It’s an unusual argument coming from the ‘crown jewel’ of higher education – but that’s how UNC Chancellor Carol Folt sees it: We did it. We’re guilty. But we shouldn’t be punished.

And the responsibility doesn’t stop with Folt: Not one member of the Board of Governors, the Trustees, or  Margaret Spellings has said: Wait a minute. Hold on. This doesn’t pass the smell test.