In addition to the Association-wide educational sessions offered at the NCAA Convention, a presidential programming agenda also was provided. One session featured an update on the NCAA strategic plan, while the other was titled, "The Integration of Athletics and Academics -- A True Change in Philosophy or Business as Usual with a Different Label?"

That session featured Vanderbilt University Chancellor Gordon Gee, who said he loves intercollegiate athletics and looks forward to the day when other schools don't want to play Vanderbilt for their homecoming football game -- but he's not willing to sacrifice the academic side of his institution for that dream.

Gee made headlines last fall when he announced that Vanderbilt would bring together intercollegiate sports and recreational activities for students in a single department that would be part of the division of student life and university affairs. Gee said the move was made because the athletics department was too separated from the rest of the university.

"We do need to move back into a more integrated model," he said, adding institutions can win in sports and still offer a quality academic program.

Gee said he advocates several ways to bring the two closer together. For example, he said, tie graduation rates and scholarships together, demand that every student-athlete take a legitimate academic program, tie television revenue and conference distribution revenue to graduation rates, and put the university's president in charge of athletics.

Gee added that when coaches are receiving millions of dollars for successful teams, while faculty can't receive raises and libraries are closing early on campuses, there's a problem.

George Hagerty, president of Franklin Pierce College, also discussed the importance of integrating athletics in with the rest of the college.

Hagerty said when he arrived at Franklin Pierce in the mid-1990s, freshman and sophomore retention was a problem and students often cited a lack of activities as a reason for transferring to other schools.

Student-athletes, Hagerty said, tended to be more involved in campus life, so the school expanded its number of sports teams from 10 to 19 and made it a goal to have 300 student-athletes on campus by 2002.

Franklin Pierce has reached that goal, he said. Enrollment has grown and the campus culture has changed, largely through athletics.

Robert McBee, former athletics director at State University College at Cortland, stressed the importance of having athletics directors report directly to presidents. He also noted that a large percentage of coaches also are teachers, which is another reason to closely tie academics and athletics.

-- Beth Rosenberg