A group of college presidents recently estimated that they and their colleagues spend approximately 2 percent of their time on average on anything having to do with intercollegiate athletics. But consider these facts:

A nearly undeniable fact is that college sports typically draw a disproportionate amount of attention to a campus compared to the small amount of attention college sports receives from the chief executive officer. Unfortunately, intercollegiate athletics often is buried among many other high-profile issues until, without warning, a crisis arises in the athletics department. Suddenly the crisis requires the immediate attention of what may be an uninformed, inexperienced and previously uninvolved CEO.

The bottom line is that college sports is a $4 billion enterprise that no longer can operate in the background for college presidents.

A clear and present need exists for a new "continuing education" program for college presidents. The purpose of such a program is to challenge presidents to rethink the context and role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education -- to be a part of, rather than apart from, higher education and the key issues that affect college sports at any given time.

Clearly, more must be done. When I have discussed my concern about the lack of presidential understanding of intercollegiate athletics issues with the Division I Board of Directors, there has been general agreement. For example, the Board agrees that college presidents need to have a clear understanding of:

I propose an education model with components to address four important groups: (1) new college presidents; (2) existing college presidents; (3) advisors to college presidents; and (4) new members to the NCAA presidential bodies. See the accompanying list for details.

This is a modest beginning, and your feedback to the questions below would be especially helpful on this topic:

No one appreciates more than I the tug of war college presidents feel on their time and attention. But, if we are to reconnect the athletics programs at NCAA member institutions to their academic missions (and keep them connected), then college presidents must find the will to act to commit to a program of continuing education.

Proposed Presidential Education Model

The NCAA would partner with the American Council on Education training for new college presidents to offer seminars on intercollegiate athletics, including these topics: sport ethics, current issues, governance of institutions and associations, influences of outside groups, fiscal integrity, philosophy of intercollegiate sport, and presidential control.

Educational efforts directed at existing college presidents would not necessarily take place in person. Other effective means of communication (for example, e-mail, the Internet) would be used to provide information on key issues in a timely fashion.

An educational partnership would be established between the NCAA and professional organizations to which various advisors for college presidents belong (for example, NASPA, NASULGC, NACUBO, NACUA). Targeted individuals would include provosts, business and finance officers, university attorneys, and student personnel administrators. In addition, the educational programs would be offered to the ACE Fellows.

New members of NCAA presidential bodies

A broad-based, comprehensive orientation session would be presented to presidents new to the NCAA governance structure. Upon completion of the orientation module, the presidents would be responsible for disseminating information regarding key NCAA issues to other presidents in their respective conferences. This "conference communication tree" would allow for president-to-president discussion on pressing issues facing intercollegiate athletics and higher education.

By the Numbers

The results of efforts to hire ethnic minorities of either gender in either head coaching or athletics director positions are dismal.