Hazing and sports are often closely related, and the NCAA -- which doesn't have an anti-hazing policy -- tackled the subject at its annual convention this week, the Associated Press reported Jan. 10.

Experts told officials during a four-hour session that 80 percent of NCAA athletes are hazed, and that half of those are forced to participate in drinking contests or other alcohol-related activities. Hazing is more prevalent among males, but half of all female athletes also are hazed.

"Colleges in my opinion have a greater liability with athletic hazing than with (fraternities and sororities)," said Norman Pollard, dean of students at Alfred University. "After all, we recruit them. They wear our uniforms, and we went to their families to encourage them to be part of our campus community."

In addition to safety and liability concerns, schools also are worried about the public-relations impact of hazing, especially when videos and images of hazing incidents end up on the Internet and websites like badjocks.com.

In about one in five cases, team coaches are involved in hazing of athletes, according to University of Maine researcher Elizabeth Allan.