Honor Thy Code

Brandon Davies did not honor BYU's honor 

code, resulting in his suspension from the 

team for the remainder of the season.

The dream appears to be over the for the BYU Cougars men's basketball team. After nearly locking up a No. 1 seed with its second win over highly-ranked San Diego State, the school proved that there's more to life than basketball.

Standout sophomore Brandon Davies was dismissed from the Cougar basketball team for breaking the BYU honor code. Several teams have a set of team rules, but every school in the country fails by comparison the the BYU code, which can be found here.

Most college programs would scoff at the code, but the folks in Provo should be commended for their adherence to the code. They are trying to make the world a better place by enforcing strict rules – no matter the cost. Students at BYU know what they're getting into the moment they step on campus and have accepted the rules.

If all schools had a similar honor code, college basketball would certainly be more of a family-friendly environment. Of course, with a similar honor code, a lot of teams would also have a hard time finding enough players for a full squad. 

So what did Davies do that was so bad? He simply had sex with his girlfriend. 

We all know that premarital sex can lead to unplanned pregnancy, but of all the rules in the honor code, this one seems the most laughable. It's hard to imagine the guys at Caltech – which snapped a 310-game conference losing streak recently – are scoring more than the third-ranked Cougars. 

College is a time where students shape into the person they will be for the rest of their lives. It is a time to make mistakes – and a time to learn from those mistakes. Ask any graduate and they're bound to have stories that will split your sides with laughter. Even being of Mormon faith, the code could use some much needed tweaking.

No tobacco or substance abuse– smart. No alcohol – a good way too keep everybody out of trouble. No caffeine? Caffeine is the essential ingredient to make it through the all-nighters during finals week. But most of all, no tea? Tea has been proven to be one of the healthiest drinks out there. Who wouldn't love to sit down and have a nice relaxing cup of tea before taking a big test or playing in one of the biggest games in school history?

BYU, you have a great thing going with the honor code, but times have changed. Students are having sex all across the country in their dorm rooms. Some might even be – gasp – drinking a Coke or a mocha latte before hopping into the sack.

Besides, there's no point in throwing away possibly millions of dollars because a star athlete couldn't keep his hands off his girlfriend.