US Secretary of Education Takes on NCAA, NBA

[tornado]

The NCAA is private and the government should keep out, yet the Secy of Education, Arne Duncan, appears to want to dictate to the NCAA what to do..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012003319.html

He also wants the NBA to drop it's ban on drafting 18 year olds...

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/arne-duncan-criticizes-ncaa-graduation-rates.html

[houstontxbrave]

Where in the world would Bill Self or John Calipari find work if they actually were required to graduate anyone?

Having a % that must be obtained in basketball to participate in the NCAA tourney is simply not in the best interest of ESPN, CBS or anyone BCS related. It will never happen.

[real fan]

Good for him as it used to be that schools were academic first and athletics second until big money took over and reversed this in a lot of the major schools. The NCAA needs to realize how many players are not taking any classes toward a major which makes it impossible for them to ever graduate. New rules need to be made in that every student athlete has to take enough core courses and at least be in line to graduate in 5 years. Whatever happened to the student/athlete where the student aspect came first, too many colleges have turned into football and basketball factories.

[houstontxbrave]

Good for him as it used to be that schools were academic first and athletics second until big money took over and reversed this in a lot of the major schools. The NCAA needs to realize how many players are not taking any classes toward a major which makes it impossible for them to ever graduate. New rules need to be made in that every student athlete has to take enough core courses and at least be in line to graduate in 5 years. Whatever happened to the student/athlete where the student aspect came first, too many colleges have turned into football and basketball factories.

I think the NCAA does realize and they also realize they dont care one bit. The graduation rates are for show. They really mean nothing and graduation rates do not pay bills or line pockets.

If the NCAA truely cared about academics something like this would be have been required for all sports long ago.

This has been going on forever in college athletics, it is just now much more obvious because of the 24 hour a day news cycle, the internet and how exposed especailly basketball and football have become. There just is to much money to lose by making school/athletes respondsible for academics.

Also, something like this could very well even the playing field between the BCS and the non BCS's. Could you imagine if this were a rule for college football, and how much more equal the playing chances would be of for example Vanderbilt v Alabama? Or Rice v University of Texas.

But the BCS's of the world do not want success at places like Vandy or Rice, not enough eyes and wallets.

[SFP]

It would be easy for the Feds to change the system. They could tie federal grants and scholarships to the sports team's academic performance as part of their formula in reviewing grants and financial aid. This would work as long as the amount of federal help a school could get is much greater then what they can get from the NCAA and boosters.

[Dallas Brave]

The NCAA doesn't operate like they are private. At a minimum, they are the front-men for some very big money interests .... corporate sponsors, the networks, and the publically funded state schools.

[Beninator]

Good for him as it used to be that schools were academic first and athletics second until big money took over and reversed this in a lot of the major schools. The NCAA needs to realize how many players are not taking any classes toward a major which makes it impossible for them to ever graduate. New rules need to be made in that every student athlete has to take enough core courses and at least be in line to graduate in 5 years. Whatever happened to the student/athlete where the student aspect came first, too many colleges have turned into football and basketball factories.

You saved me some typing real fan. I also think that the Education Secretary made some very valid points in his speech.

[ChewaBrave]

Agreed.

[amckillip]

Whether the NCAA is public or private is of no signifigance. Education is a national concern and if you think any university in the country could survive without federal support you're sorely mistaken. The most prominent way to fund ones education are federal student loans. These are what makes education avaliable to so many. Any country who does not have a smiliarly supported system in place the average level of education is far lower. So as long as the federal loan system is at the crux of higher education, it is the secretary of educations place to speak on these matters, and I for one agree with him completely....