Curing the ills in college sports
4/6/2004
THE EXCITEMENT of "March Madness" college basketball has peaked. On-court statistics have been impressive. Nonetheless, there's a sour aftertaste, because off-court statistics have been depressing. As columnist Derrick Z. Jackson pointed out ("NCAA's heroes, life's zeros," op ed, March 17), graduation rates among top programs are dismal. In many, fewer than half of the recruited athletes receive a degree within six years. Often they are left with little preparation for a future beyond athletics. Scandals show what can happen when highly recruited athletes are brought in with little connection to the life of the university, inadequate supervision, and a distorted sense of privilege.
College presidents will get the problem under control only by taking action in ways that go beyond the modest proposals before the NCAA. They need to set admissions standards to ensure that athletes are equipped to become successful students. They need to enforce high expectations for athletes as members of the community. This can be done while maintaining Division I level competition. In the Patriot League, each school calculates an academic index based on the SAT scores and high school rank or GPA for each recruited athlete. Both individual and team averages are expected to be consistent with those of the overall student body. Each year the presidents review the results and hold one another accountable for any exceptions. A similar system is used in the Ivy League. Once admitted, student athletes are held to the same standards as other students. The result is the highest graduation rate reported by any league in Division I.
I believe that athletics can build character, leadership, and teamwork. The result can be a graduate better prepared to contribute to his or her community and nation. Unfortunately, that is not what we're seeing in many colleges and universities that have been "led to sports temptation." Perhaps "March Madness" is the right name after all.
Rev. MICHAEL C. McFARLAND, SJ President College of the Holy Cross
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