NCAA president Mark Emmert says he will gather as many as 50 university presidents/chancellors for a two-day convention in Indianapolis during Aug. 9 and 10 to discuss the issues and future of college athletics.
Emmert says the pow wow has been in its planning stages for months and is not the result of recent problems at programs like Ohio State and USC.
(Yeah, right.)
“Since I began as NCAA president in October, I have made it a point to reach out to constituents and stakeholders all over the country to talk about what people think of the collegiate model,” Emmert said. “This retreat in August is a chance for me to share with my presidential colleagues what I have heard regarding the issues and some of my thoughts on how we might address them.
“Second, I want to hear from the presidents themselves on what they see the future direction should be.”
Emmert continued on the NCAA’s official website that the meetings will look to address three large issues in collegiate athletics based on survey results of university presidents/chancellors:
- Continuing the academic success of student-athletes – a sentiment Emmert reiterated last month during the rollout of the latest Division I Academic Progress Rate report when he stressed that the NCAA’s academic movement is evolving from reform to a fundamental expectation of student-athlete academic success.
- Protecting and enhancing the integrity of intercollegiate athletics, which includes maintaining amateurism as a bedrock principle, determining the limits of commercialism, evaluating and improving student-athlete behavior, and reviewing enforcement processes and other regulatory procedures.
- Fortifying fiscal sustainability in the division. Division I, while not the NCAA’s largest division, is the only one that is subdivided (Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, and a subdivision that does not sponsor scholarship football). Research shows enormous disparities among those subdivisions in student-athlete academic performance, and in the range of revenue generation, spending and institutional subsidy, among others.
It’s clear the NCAA is hell-bent on finding a balance between keeping college athletics an amateur sport and continuing to grow financially as much as possible.
Whether they’ll be able to do that going forward, I think, will be an interesting subject to watch. As it stands today, about the only amateur thing about revenue-producing college sports are the rules the NCAA imposes on its players.
I’m glad someone is going to meet to discuss these important issues and the future of college athletics. I just wish it were someone else.
We sure hope that some of these presidents who expressed their support for a Div. 1-A football playoff will express and advocate it at the pow wow. This would solve a problem which exists each year and enable the games to take on true significance as do the other divisions.
We hope they may also discuss increasing the monthly stipend (since some of them already provide around $30/mo. laundry stipend) to the athletes. Allowing the athletes to earn additional income would also help many. It is a plethora of complicated issues that confront them, but that is what they are in the positions they are in, and are paid that money for. May they actually do something at this pow wow and earn some of their salaries.
@southernpatriots …
Wish I had your optimism. These people have been content for years to sit in their ivory towers reaping millions from a corrupt system that is destined to crumble. Justice Department probes and class-action suits have prompted them to finally make a show of addressing these issues. Emmert talks a good game. But so far all he’s done is talk in circles without even indicating he sees the need for substantive change.
It will be interesting to see how these traditionally liberal college administrators will choose to move forward. They are not corrupt – far from it. They just have tried to create a perfect system and over legislated it. They have to find a way to compensate these students.
@WingT …
Overlegislated is a good term for it. The individuals may not be corrupt, but the system certainly is. And it’s sinking under the weight of the overlegislation. The NCAA is so hamstrung by its own rules it can’t accomplish anything except hounding kids who, as you point out, should be compensated. It’s afraid of creating a football version of the wildly popular March Madness because of the money being made from the BCS. So we have championships that are decided by computer instead of on the field. The NCAA investigative arm is so understaffed it can’t do its job. We just scapegoat a single school every few years and pretend that’s fair. The whole thing is a bloody mess.
Deb: We would think that some, at least some, would know that the system is completely unfair to the athletes and the fans. We would hope that this group that knows this would work to convince others that some changes are needed or they will be forced upon them by law suits currently filed or will be filed.
From many different angles, there appears to be a confluence of pressures on the NCAA university presidents, so even if they would not normally want to change the status quo, they would see change as inevitable and if they do not act to embrace changes, they will have no influence on them. They would see if they embrace change, they can transition, thereby not killing the golden goose, just plucking a few feathers and changing its direction.
Change is not embraced naturally by many. But when the inevitability of change is presented, those involved will see the wisdom of directing it and thereby moderating its immediate affect. We are optimistic, normally so, but in this situation, we see too many pressures coming to bear on the NCAA and its member universities for there not to be change. It could be at first just a tweak of the BCS, allowing the BCS to continue, but now with a playoff system function. That would please most presidents we know or of whom we have heard their views. It is not faith in human nature, but rather a long view of history where we see change taking place and bringing us all along, kicking and screaming!
AMEN! I’d love to have a seat in the room. Seriously – to help them map out the solution.
I appreciate all your comments. I expect and hope this round will produce initial efforts to 1) improve the player/stipend/income issue and 2) step towards the elimination of the BCS hierarchy. It’s a total and complete layer of fat that could be easily assimilated into Conference management, using the money to accomplish all three points and providing more scholarships.
As you all know, I still don’t buy the ‘play for pay’ argument. The education should remain the ‘carrot’ in front of the horse – points 1 and 3.
Otherwise, we can kiss point 1 and 3 goodbye, with kids playing college ball to make money, with even less focus on the education.
That would be a travesty of biblical proportions.
Someone has to be brave enough to turn the NCAA Nile River into blood, showing they have what it takes to effect change in a system that is in Pharaohic disbelief. If that doesn’t work, on to the frogs, gnats, locusts, etc.
@southernpatriots …
I like your analysis and need to steer myself back into the optimistic lane. Have allowed myself to veer into pessimism in general lately. Bad Deb!
@polegojim …
I don’t want college football to stop being an amateur sport, but I would like players to receive an annual stipend for expenses such as gas, food, and such–perhaps $6,000-$7,000 a year. That money could help keep some players out of trouble.
I’d also like to see special emphasis on ensuring they get a usable education. So many people are dedicated to convincing them they’ll be making millions in the pros–which will be true for only a small number of them if they remain healthy. They’re young, foolish, and easily manipulated. Of course they think studying wastes their time. They need to a counterweight to all the carnival barkers.
These university presidents are brilliant individuals. They are capable of providing programs that let athletes interact with college players whose pro dreams died when they were injured or cut in their rookie season and left with nothing. They can introduce them to pro stars who wound up bankrupt. They can show them why it’s important to make the most of their educational opportunity. Will it work for all players? No, some will squander the opportunity no matter what. But some will have a lightbulb moment because of that intervention.
Deb: You are welcome. I have to guard myself so often lately to keep myself from becoming negative as well. My brother who is continued to recover from the fight of his life and my sister who is so bravely battling and my daughter who experienced such lies and deceit which cost her tenured position have all ganged up on me and with such optimism and positive viewpoints on so much often jerk me back from my malaise and melancholy thoughts.
I have many days I kick and scream at the changes in my life, things I no longer can do or do as well, and the corruption and ineptitude of those we elect to lead us. Years ago I had a sponge brick I would throw at the tv. I used it so much that the sponge came apart…ha.
Your suggestion about the amount for the yearly stipend sounds like the best amount and sounds fair. Sounds like you would like a “Scared Straight” type of introduction to many of the athletes to try to avoid a lifestyle and habits which would bring bankruptcy after they earned millions. Some good examples may be Dr. J and Magic Johnson, who both invested and have done very well, the latter extraordinarily well.
polegojim: Your allusions to the biblical plagues on Egypt are most appropo here. It is a shame that it takes so much pressure from so many sources to hopefully move the presidents to much needed change.
We hope it won’t take the “frogs, gnats, locusts, etc.” because that will probably hurt all the fans of college football. Don’t get us wrong, we like pro football, but college football is our first love and we love the atmosphere, tailgating, friends, and all involved for the past 60 plus years for several family members and a little over 50 years for myself. We truly love college football, especially the SEC, and most especially LSU.