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In the high-stakes world of college sports, new scandals and public relations nightmares continually emerge. Now a new online twist has surfaced: how to address less-than-flattering posts from student-athletes on social networking sites.

One Minnesota university has taken a bold step by banning student-athlete use of Facebook, MySpace and other sites after disciplining students for online posts last year. According to an AP story, the University of Minnesota Duluth’s policy “refers to derogatory comments about athletes or athletic department personnel posted on Web sites, as well as pictures of underage drinking and other inappropriate behavior.”

Inside Higher Ed reports that other universities are considering similar policy changes. Several Division I schools monitor the sites and even use them as evidence during internal investigations.

The Duluth university’s athletic director says their policy may evolve next year. Instead of banning social networking sites, student-athletes could be asked to sign a contract that outlines unacceptable online behavior.

The contract idea seems like a more reasonable approach given the incredible popularity of social networking among the college crowd. Students must understand the risks – and universities must protect their reputations. The NCAA has no official stance on Facebook sports pools or social networking in general, but it’ll undoubtedly face more pressure to address the issue.