Bowl Championship Series

Gordon Gee, chancellor
Vanderbilt University
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"I would cheerfully do away with the BCS and move back to the old bowl system. That bowl system at least rewarded our students for doing good work throughout the fall season. We ended up having a wonderful time. That system, which is a reward for the students, worked out very well. The minute you move away from it being a reward system to it having to name a national champion, then it diminishes what we are trying to do academically."

Robert Hemenway, chancellor
University of Kansas
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"I think a lot of presidents and chancellors are growing skeptical about the BCS, (but) they don't see a playoff as an alternative."

Football coaches' salaries

Joe Castiglione, director of athletics
University of Oklahoma
New York Times

Discussing the recent escalation of Division I-A salaries:

"If it was a bad dynamic, more and more universities would drop football. The value is obvious. So why not apply good business strategy? From a business standpoint, we can justify every penny that we pay (Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops) and his staff. ...

"You can debate it, curse it or embrace it, but if you're going into a competitive market, there's a decision to be made. It's a choice that an institution has to make. If they don't want to do it, they can say no. I'm not complaining, I'm just being candid."

Fiscal responsibility

Scott Cowen, president
Tulane University
Chronicle of Higher Education

"Our universities invest huge amounts of resources in athletics under the false belief that success in sports may enhance the academic reputation of the institution, improve fund-raising or make athletics a profitable enterprise. Yet few Division I-A athletics programs generate a financial surplus, and deficits are increasing every year at most universities.

"Investments in sports without regard to how they affect the overall welfare of a university are misguided, if not downright irresponsible. As educators, we should study and understand the empirical evidence that demonstrates the real impact athletics has on our institutions, then educate our internal and external constituencies -- especially our boards -- about those findings. To render sound judgments about college sports, trustees should be acquainted with the hard financial facts and separate them from the emotional attachment they often feel for a university's sports teams. Data-driven decision-making will go a long way toward debunking the mythology that drives behavior about athletics."

Academic reform

Grant Teaff, executive director
American Football Coaches Association
USA Today

Discussing newly adopted policies for contemporaneous penalties that could cost academically under-performing football programs as many as nine scholarships:

"In all truth, whatever it takes, though it may be painful, our coaches feel the most important thing is graduation rates. I think our institutions need to give weight to graduation rates themselves and not fire somebody after three years based on a win or loss. If we're going to put weight on the other side of the ledger, we also should put weight on this side of the ledger and make sure coaches that graduate their players are recognized."

Robert Eno, professor
Indiana University, Bloomington
Chicago Tribune

"(Academic reform) would be quite a change if we sent a message that the classroom is what you're there for, that the heart of the college experience is your academic performance.

"College athletics influences the way high-school kids regard their futures, the way they see what college is all about. The way we have prioritized athletics sends a strong message to high-school kids that says don't put so much time in academics if hurts your athletics because athletics is an alternative route to college and life success, even though a very, very small percentage of those athletes will reach the pros.

"When college is over they'll be left with some connections and some skills, but not the skills some of their classmates have."

Mike Thomas, director of athletics
University of Akron
Akron Beacon Journal

"There's a difference between keeping a kid eligible and making sure they're tracking their academic progress while taking the right classes to get a degree. The days of just keeping kids eligible are nonexistent."

Basketball issues

Roy Williams, head men's basketball coach
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Morris News Service

Discussing legislative proposals that would increase coaches' access to players:

"We're college coaches, and yet we're restricted with the amount of time we can spend with the players. It's hard to have a meeting with your team (because of NCAA time restrictions) and yet we're responsible for everything. One of the ironic things is, after you recruit a kid and he goes in the springtime to an all-star game, we can't go watch him play, but we invite the NBA in to come in and steal (him). Then we sit back and say, 'Oh gosh, that's really sad that that happened.' I think if we did have more access, it would be good for college athletics, because that's what it's all about."

Oliver Purnell, head men's basketball coach
Clemson University
The State (Columbia, South Carolina)

"The access to players is a fly ball, it's obvious. We're supposed to be accountable for these guys. If they have a problem, the coach is the person people look to be accountable. So if you're gonna be accountable, then you need more access.

"We're supposed to mentor them. We're supposed to help them grow not only on the court, but off the court. We're responsible for them graduating. So the more access we have to them, the better we can accomplish those things."