National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2006
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Opinions
Richard Lapchick, director
Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport
University of Central Florida
The Associated Press
“I go to a lot of campuses and speak and I’m told on a regular basis that they’re recruiting very different student-athletes these days because they know they can’t afford the penalties. A lot of schools that formerly took risks on student-athletes because they were so great athletically, they’re no longer recruiting those student-athletes.”
West Virginia University
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“I like to have college football on Saturday afternoons, every once in a while on Saturday nights. Thursday nights are not natural...(but) once a year play a Thursday-night game. But maybe those days are done.
“Why are we playing a 12th game? It’s for money. Why are we playing on TV? It’s for money. Let’s be honest, that’s what it is. Sure, TV helps with recruiting. We can’t complain about it as coaches if you want (first-class) things in our program. That’s why you won’t hear me complain.
“But at the same time, you’d like there to be a limit to things. In other words, let’s not play three, four midweek games during the year. And if you’re going to play the 12-game season, I think they ought to start a week earlier in August. You can’t move it back any further. Pretty soon, you’ll play your last game and play your bowl game a week later.”
Jeff Long, director of athletics
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“On one level, we’re traditional, and a large part of our fans are traditional in that they like to play Saturday games. But also, our fans like Thursday-night matchups because it’s the thing to do, it’s the game on that night. It certainly has benefits not only for athletics but the institution as a whole.”
Randy Edsall, head football coach
University of Connecticut
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“I really don’t like playing on a day other than Saturday. I know we have to do it because of the TV and the money. I don’t like it, No. 1, because of the high schools (playing on Fridays). And, No. 2, during the week because of missing class. Coaches get put under the pressure of not graduating your players and all that, but then you’re going to play during the week. I think what has to happen, the NCAA wants to talk about the APR and graduation rates, but they allow — and TV dictates it — that kids go out and miss classes due to games during the week.”
University of Maryland, College Park
Raleigh News & Observer
“I would never in my wildest dreams thought there would be so many (black coaches) in the (Atlantic Coast Conference). But these days, schools look for the best person for the program. Presidents and chancellors look at is as, ‘Who can get us to the NCAA tournament or hopefully win an ACC tournament?’”
Gary Williams, head men’s basketball coach
University of Maryland, College Park
Raleigh News & Observer
“It was significant when (Wade) was fired because he was the most visible African-American coach who was fired at that time. I think it’s gone from that to where, you get hired or fired on whether you’re a good coach or not.
“The people in the ACC have gone out and hired the best coaches. I don’t think anybody has said, ‘I’m going to go out and get an African-American coach’ They’ve said, ‘I’m going to go get a good coach.’ That’s where college basketball is right now.”
John Swofford, commissioner
Atlantic Coast Conference
Raleigh News & Observer
“Nationally (in football), it’s not happening in the same way, for whatever reason. I think we need to pay a lot of attention to that and try to make more progress on the football side.”
Columnist
The New York Times
“We have come to a point where the physics of balance — not every team can be on top all the time — has been overcome by the warped values of college football hedonists.
“Pleasure is winning. Joy is being No. 1. Anything else is unacceptable.
“The expanding chasm between America’s rich and poor is reflected in college football’s unquenchable excess. College spirit is not a vanity purchase by the super-rich. They have chosen teams and are financing them, turning football factories into their favorite charity.”
University of Texas at Austin
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“This is their trade, (playing basketball professionally) is what they want to do. We’re here to help them through life, whether they’re a science major or an athlete. If a student feels he’s ready to move on after a year or two, then he should do just that.
“Our job is to develop them as a player and a person. If they’re staying eligible, they obviously are absorbing the college experience. That’s all we can ask.”
Matt Doherty, head men’s basketball coach
Southern Methodist University
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“You have to be very confident in the type of person the kid is. I’d be sure that the recruit would become part of the campus life. He’d live on campus, do things with the team, get the college experience. Not every kid wants to do that.”
Neil Dougherty, head men’s basketball coach
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Look, there are risks. But in most cases, I think it’s worth the risk. I’d absolutely take them. What you have to decide is, do these kids have the desire and true ability? If you’re talking about that kind of player, you have to learn to love them quick.”
University of Georgia
The New York Times
“It’s getting competitive — that’s one of the reasons why we have this center (built in 2002). The coaches started hearing from kids that so-and-so had a nicer academic center. We had a good academic program, but we didn’t have all the bells and whistles.”
NCAA
Indianapolis Star
“The ones in favor (of an earlier signing date) say if the prospect has his mind made up, it takes the pressure off and it takes doubt out of the equation for the institution. On the other hand, if you move it up earlier, does that just move the recruiting pressure up, and we’ll have the same conversation in five or 10 years.”
Jim Haney, executive director
National Association of Basketball Coaches
Indianapolis Star
“We’ve talked about this quite a bit. We do have a pretty strong feeling that’s it’s not a good idea for prospects to sign earlier.
“The rate of transfers is pretty significant in our sport, and part of the reason is kids are making quicker decisions and the coach and the prospect don’t have as much time to get to know each other.”
Grant Teaff, executive director
American Football Coaches Association
Indianapolis Star
“There’s never been any air under the sails of that concept. I keep thinking it’s going to gain momentum, but it hasn’t. I will bring it up again in January.”
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Academic reform
Richard Lapchick, director
Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport
University of Central Florida
The Associated Press
“I go to a lot of campuses and speak and I’m told on a regular basis that they’re recruiting very different student-athletes these days because they know they can’t afford the penalties. A lot of schools that formerly took risks on student-athletes because they were so great athletically, they’re no longer recruiting those student-athletes.”
Mid-week football games
Rich Rodriguez, head football coachWest Virginia University
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“I like to have college football on Saturday afternoons, every once in a while on Saturday nights. Thursday nights are not natural...(but) once a year play a Thursday-night game. But maybe those days are done.
“Why are we playing a 12th game? It’s for money. Why are we playing on TV? It’s for money. Let’s be honest, that’s what it is. Sure, TV helps with recruiting. We can’t complain about it as coaches if you want (first-class) things in our program. That’s why you won’t hear me complain.
“But at the same time, you’d like there to be a limit to things. In other words, let’s not play three, four midweek games during the year. And if you’re going to play the 12-game season, I think they ought to start a week earlier in August. You can’t move it back any further. Pretty soon, you’ll play your last game and play your bowl game a week later.”
Jeff Long, director of athletics
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“On one level, we’re traditional, and a large part of our fans are traditional in that they like to play Saturday games. But also, our fans like Thursday-night matchups because it’s the thing to do, it’s the game on that night. It certainly has benefits not only for athletics but the institution as a whole.”
Randy Edsall, head football coach
University of Connecticut
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“I really don’t like playing on a day other than Saturday. I know we have to do it because of the TV and the money. I don’t like it, No. 1, because of the high schools (playing on Fridays). And, No. 2, during the week because of missing class. Coaches get put under the pressure of not graduating your players and all that, but then you’re going to play during the week. I think what has to happen, the NCAA wants to talk about the APR and graduation rates, but they allow — and TV dictates it — that kids go out and miss classes due to games during the week.”
Diversity in coaching
Bob Wade, former head men’s basketball coachUniversity of Maryland, College Park
Raleigh News & Observer
“I would never in my wildest dreams thought there would be so many (black coaches) in the (Atlantic Coast Conference). But these days, schools look for the best person for the program. Presidents and chancellors look at is as, ‘Who can get us to the NCAA tournament or hopefully win an ACC tournament?’”
Gary Williams, head men’s basketball coach
University of Maryland, College Park
Raleigh News & Observer
“It was significant when (Wade) was fired because he was the most visible African-American coach who was fired at that time. I think it’s gone from that to where, you get hired or fired on whether you’re a good coach or not.
“The people in the ACC have gone out and hired the best coaches. I don’t think anybody has said, ‘I’m going to go out and get an African-American coach’ They’ve said, ‘I’m going to go get a good coach.’ That’s where college basketball is right now.”
John Swofford, commissioner
Atlantic Coast Conference
Raleigh News & Observer
“Nationally (in football), it’s not happening in the same way, for whatever reason. I think we need to pay a lot of attention to that and try to make more progress on the football side.”
Firing coaches
Selena RobertsColumnist
The New York Times
“We have come to a point where the physics of balance — not every team can be on top all the time — has been overcome by the warped values of college football hedonists.
“Pleasure is winning. Joy is being No. 1. Anything else is unacceptable.
“The expanding chasm between America’s rich and poor is reflected in college football’s unquenchable excess. College spirit is not a vanity purchase by the super-rich. They have chosen teams and are financing them, turning football factories into their favorite charity.”
Recruiting pro prospects
Rick Barnes, head men’s basketball coachUniversity of Texas at Austin
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“This is their trade, (playing basketball professionally) is what they want to do. We’re here to help them through life, whether they’re a science major or an athlete. If a student feels he’s ready to move on after a year or two, then he should do just that.
“Our job is to develop them as a player and a person. If they’re staying eligible, they obviously are absorbing the college experience. That’s all we can ask.”
Matt Doherty, head men’s basketball coach
Southern Methodist University
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“You have to be very confident in the type of person the kid is. I’d be sure that the recruit would become part of the campus life. He’d live on campus, do things with the team, get the college experience. Not every kid wants to do that.”
Neil Dougherty, head men’s basketball coach
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Look, there are risks. But in most cases, I think it’s worth the risk. I’d absolutely take them. What you have to decide is, do these kids have the desire and true ability? If you’re talking about that kind of player, you have to learn to love them quick.”
Academic support
Becky Galvin, academic counselor/tutorial coordinatorUniversity of Georgia
The New York Times
“It’s getting competitive — that’s one of the reasons why we have this center (built in 2002). The coaches started hearing from kids that so-and-so had a nicer academic center. We had a good academic program, but we didn’t have all the bells and whistles.”
National Letter of Intent signing date
Brad Hostetter, director of membership servicesNCAA
Indianapolis Star
“The ones in favor (of an earlier signing date) say if the prospect has his mind made up, it takes the pressure off and it takes doubt out of the equation for the institution. On the other hand, if you move it up earlier, does that just move the recruiting pressure up, and we’ll have the same conversation in five or 10 years.”
Jim Haney, executive director
National Association of Basketball Coaches
Indianapolis Star
“We’ve talked about this quite a bit. We do have a pretty strong feeling that’s it’s not a good idea for prospects to sign earlier.
“The rate of transfers is pretty significant in our sport, and part of the reason is kids are making quicker decisions and the coach and the prospect don’t have as much time to get to know each other.”
Grant Teaff, executive director
American Football Coaches Association
Indianapolis Star
“There’s never been any air under the sails of that concept. I keep thinking it’s going to gain momentum, but it hasn’t. I will bring it up again in January.”
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