Baseball scholarships

Mike Gaski, head baseball coach

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Athletic Management

Discussing scholarship restrictions in baseball that limit teams to the equivalent of 11.7 full rides:

“Nobody who goes out to recruit is happy with this system. It’s humiliating to tell a family, ‘We think your son is worth 20 percent.’ You do that with used cars. Baseball coaches have become rug salesmen in terms of how we have to recruit now.”

Commercialism

Walter Harrison, president

University of Hartford

Chronicle of Higher Education

“The biggest threat to college sports is commercialism, and one of the areas I see commercialism encroaching is luxury boxes. I understand that they are revenue producers, but you’re establishing a moneyed elite who gets dramatically improved seats at a university, and I don’t think as universities that’s a message we ought to be sending. As an American society we ought to be sending a message that we are egalitarian. ...

“(T)here are a lot of building (commercial) influences, but I don’t think they are too strong. They require the strength that college presidents acting together can have. This is connected to the growth of televised sports. In the 1950s, when there was a single game of the week in college football, there were commercial interests even then — but they have exploded as the opportunities for televising games have.

“There are lots of good things that have come from that. I’m a supporter of the CBS contract for men’s college basketball because it allows us to support hundreds of thousands of athletes in lots of other sports. But there is a bright line, and college presidents must say what is acceptable and what isn’t.”

The lure of college sports

Brett Dalton, student writer

Pittsburg State University

The Collegio (Pittsburg State student newspaper)

“Being among the throng of fans that line the path the football players take to the stadium is special. Being part of the crowd that hollers ‘Gorillas’ after the announcer at volleyball games shouts ‘Point’ is special. Standing along the sidelines at basketball games is special. Being a part of the small, yet loyal crowd at baseball and softball games is special.

“All those things are special because you’re there with your peers, cheering for your peers. That’s what makes being a student-fan so memorable. Watching professional sports is fun, but most of those guys are older. High school games can be fun, too, but all of those players are younger.

“Being a student-fan of college athletics is like being that third little bear. Everything is just right.

“The players you’re rooting for are not older or younger, and if they are, it’s not by much. Odds are, you’re friends with some of them. And even if you’re not, you will probably see them walking around campus the day after the game. It’s that connectedness that makes it all special and flat-out fun to be a student-fan.”