Nick Saban, head football coach
Louisiana State University
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Discussing the proposed change in the "25-50-75" rule to 40-60-80:

"There are a lot of guys who have an opportunity to graduate now who are marginal students (but who will be adversely affected by the proposals). It sets this group up to fail. There will be less flexibility in majors. Unless he's a really good student, he's going to have to find a degree program he can succeed in at that pace. Then you can never change majors -- because if you have to have 40 percent toward a degree after two years, how can you ever change?"

Sue Gunter, head women's basketball coach
Louisiana State University
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Discussing proposed NCAA and Southeastern Conference academic enhancements:

"I don't think anybody's opposed to doing things that make us stronger academically. But you're putting us in a position where compared to the people we have to compete against on a national level, the playing field is not level. Do you want me to win 20 or 22 games or do you want me to win 16 games and graduate everybody? We want to win 20 games and graduate everybody, but you have to be reasonable."

Roy Kramer, commissioner
Southeastern Conference
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

"When we first passed Proposal No. 48 (in 1986), we were going to find all these people who were no longer going to play for us. But we found out they'll take 12 or 13 core courses. If we raise it to 14 core courses, they'll take 14. Will there be some who fall along the way? Probably. I think it will take a period of adjustment. But we will still have great college football on Saturdays."

Diversity

Bobby Darnell, football student-athlete
Baylor University
Waco Tribune-Herald

Discussing the need for more diversity in the football coaching ranks in order to provide more role models for ethnic minority student-athletes:

"I'm not naive enough to think that all (ethnic minority players) have come from two-parent homes. A lot of kids grow up with their grandmother or their mother, so having that father figure is vital. It gives a lot of athletes an outlet, somebody to talk to, someone they can relate to.

"Just having one or two out of nine or 10 assistant coaches isn't going to be fair to that coach because he's going to see a majority of those students coming to him for problems or being their father figure. So he may inherit 60 kids. And he can't have them all come over for dinner."