I could see it coming from a mile away when national cable news channels reported on a huge drug probe at San Diego State University that resulted in 96 arrests and implicated students at several fraternities.

Thursday's second-day story on the busts led with this:

The unusual move by San Diego State University officials to invite federal drug agents to infiltrate the campus is sparking concern and criticism but also drawing interest from college administrations elsewhere.

Carole Kennedy, a political science professor and head of SDSU's faculty union, said she was dismayed by the level of drug activity on campus. But Kennedy said she also was disturbed that the university's president “unilaterally allowed” undercover federal agents to gather intelligence from student organizations.

The unusual move by San Diego State University officials to invite federal drug agents to infiltrate the campus is sparking concern and criticism but also drawing interest from college administrations elsewhere.

It sets a bad precedent, Kennedy said.

“Now it's drugs,” she said. “Maybe next time it's about political dissent. . . . What happens when you have students talking about federal income tax policy, saying they're not going to pay their taxes? Are they going to bring in IRS agents?”

Only a academic ensconsed so high in an ivory tower that oxygen is scarce could come up with this complaint. Has "academic freedom" become so all-encompassing that universities are law-free zones?

This wasn't a couple of guys growing a few pot plants in the closet at their off-campus apartment. There was organized drug-dealing going on at this campus on a scale that is unparalleled in recent history.

Does Kennedy really think the university president would call in federal agents (or that federal agents would come if called) over mere dissent? The university president resides in that same ivory tower. The Drug Enforcement Administration was only called in when campus cops came to realize that they had more going on on that campus than they could handle -- and that's the only reason why the DEA agreed to the request.

I'd be willing to bet professor Kennedy that this incident turns out to be a one off. If another college calls in the DEA to assist in a sting of this magnitude in the next five years, I'll buy season tickets to Aztec Football. If there's two stings in the next five years, I'll attend the games.