National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Opinions
The NCAA News
Earlham College
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“There are essentially two approaches (to athletics in Division III), both legitimate, but so incompatible that one division should not try to embrace them both.
“When participation rates (of students participating in athletics at an institution) are low, colleges can safely encourage their athletes to focus on sports, giving them the intense and vigorous athletics experience those students seek. They can do so without unduly influencing the entire campus, because of the relatively small number of students who participate in athletics programs. Such an intense focus has little consequence for the rest of the campus.
“At colleges with high participation rates, though, where sports are a common activity among students, officials want their athletes to participate in other activities as well: art, music, theater, community service, politics, and the like….
“We need to affirm that both approaches are legitimate. Both should be able to find a place within the NCAA. We already have two divisions that allow athletics scholarships. Why shouldn’t we also have two divisions that forbid athletics scholarships but have otherwise different approaches to fitting intercollegiate athletics into the undergraduate experience?”
Mark Webb, director of athletics
University of the South
Chattanooga Times Free Press
“If you go to the Convention, (Division III) athletics directors are all over the board with what they do in terms of sponsoring sports and how they recruit and conduct nontraditional practice. Is it frustrating? You hear coaches talk about different admissions standards or selectivity or financial aid policies.”
Tom Weingartner, director of athletics
University of Chicago
The Maroon (University of Chicago)
“I think that the interest in creating a ‘Division IV’ has been mostly driven by a relatively small number of people and institutions, and I think that when the NCAA really begins to look at this in a formal matter, people would be surprised how many institutions are not interested in having significant change. The membership has been sort of caught off guard by this, and we’re really just catching up.”
Dennis Collins, executive director
North Coast Athletic Conference
The Maroon (University of Chicago)
“Here’s the big thing: People need to start paying attention a little more. (Restructuring) is going to happen, and they need to get on the bus; it’s leaving the depot. I don’t want my conference in a playing division with 600 members; it’s not going to work, and I think people have to recognize that here’s a great opportunity. We need to start planning for the future like they did in 1973 (when the NCAA divided into three divisions). We’re way overdue for a similar sort of reorganization.”
Charles Ambrose, president
Pfeiffer University
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“There are a lot more knowns about where (Division II) institutions are and where they’re going than before (due to the division’s strategic-positioning effort). The debate about subdividing (the NCAA) membership or adding another division leaves some questions. But the membership question will gain a lot of clarity in the months ahead. Certainly our strategic-positioning initiative comes at a very timely place in the fabric of divisional membership. And obviously we’d like to become more of a destination.”
Ohio University
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
“The student-athletes’ reality is that at the institutional level they can voice only very limited concerns in very limited ways. Regardless of whether this is true, the fact that they believe it is makes it important to provide them opportunities to offer input at the national level. Issues relating to the student-athlete/coach relationship — coaches’ responsibilities as educators, the win-at-all-cost philosophy and the student-athlete’s right to be provided a legitimate opportunity to earn a well-balanced academic, social and athletic experience — are issues that must be addressed not only on campus, but also in a highly visible and national forum. National dialogue serves to raise awareness and spur action at the local level. And because NCAA rules affect them most directly, student-athletes should be provided the opportunity to shape those rules….
“Currently, the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will report to a Management Council. consisting of athletics administrators, conference commissioners and faculty athletics representatives. This Management Council will then report to a Board of Directors consisting of presidents. While well intentioned, this structure is inadequate…student-athlete views, particularly those that are critical, are too often trivialized and dismissed by athletics administrators. Thus, the committee should be provided a direct line of access to the president’s board.”
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Arizona Daily Star
“We see a good number of young women starting in the coaching profession but not staying in it long enough to succeed, to move up to the head coaching level. I think that’s problematic, and many other people do as well.”
Jo Evans, head softball coach
Texas A&M University
The Daily Oklahoman
“At the risk of sounding like I don’t want men coaching, I really want women to have an opportunity to coach women. I think it’s really important that somebody gives them a chance and that they have an opportunity, a great role model for young women. I don’t think having men in (softball) takes away from that whatsoever. I just want to make sure that women continue to get great opportunities.”
Kathy Bull, women’s tennis coach
Ball State University
Ball State Daily News
“We have more kids wanting to be athletes, but there is a shortage (of women) on supervising and coaching these activities. I think the reason is that (fewer) women are becoming teachers and coaches. There is a more diverse job market now with more doors open to women. A lot of women are attracted to the business world...and everything is before them in whatever they do.”
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The NCAA News
Membership issues
Douglas Bennett, presidentEarlham College
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“There are essentially two approaches (to athletics in Division III), both legitimate, but so incompatible that one division should not try to embrace them both.
“When participation rates (of students participating in athletics at an institution) are low, colleges can safely encourage their athletes to focus on sports, giving them the intense and vigorous athletics experience those students seek. They can do so without unduly influencing the entire campus, because of the relatively small number of students who participate in athletics programs. Such an intense focus has little consequence for the rest of the campus.
“At colleges with high participation rates, though, where sports are a common activity among students, officials want their athletes to participate in other activities as well: art, music, theater, community service, politics, and the like….
“We need to affirm that both approaches are legitimate. Both should be able to find a place within the NCAA. We already have two divisions that allow athletics scholarships. Why shouldn’t we also have two divisions that forbid athletics scholarships but have otherwise different approaches to fitting intercollegiate athletics into the undergraduate experience?”
Mark Webb, director of athletics
University of the South
Chattanooga Times Free Press
“If you go to the Convention, (Division III) athletics directors are all over the board with what they do in terms of sponsoring sports and how they recruit and conduct nontraditional practice. Is it frustrating? You hear coaches talk about different admissions standards or selectivity or financial aid policies.”
Tom Weingartner, director of athletics
University of Chicago
The Maroon (University of Chicago)
“I think that the interest in creating a ‘Division IV’ has been mostly driven by a relatively small number of people and institutions, and I think that when the NCAA really begins to look at this in a formal matter, people would be surprised how many institutions are not interested in having significant change. The membership has been sort of caught off guard by this, and we’re really just catching up.”
Dennis Collins, executive director
North Coast Athletic Conference
The Maroon (University of Chicago)
“Here’s the big thing: People need to start paying attention a little more. (Restructuring) is going to happen, and they need to get on the bus; it’s leaving the depot. I don’t want my conference in a playing division with 600 members; it’s not going to work, and I think people have to recognize that here’s a great opportunity. We need to start planning for the future like they did in 1973 (when the NCAA divided into three divisions). We’re way overdue for a similar sort of reorganization.”
Charles Ambrose, president
Pfeiffer University
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“There are a lot more knowns about where (Division II) institutions are and where they’re going than before (due to the division’s strategic-positioning effort). The debate about subdividing (the NCAA) membership or adding another division leaves some questions. But the membership question will gain a lot of clarity in the months ahead. Certainly our strategic-positioning initiative comes at a very timely place in the fabric of divisional membership. And obviously we’d like to become more of a destination.”
Student-athletes in governance
John Gerdy, visiting professor of sports administrationOhio University
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
“The student-athletes’ reality is that at the institutional level they can voice only very limited concerns in very limited ways. Regardless of whether this is true, the fact that they believe it is makes it important to provide them opportunities to offer input at the national level. Issues relating to the student-athlete/coach relationship — coaches’ responsibilities as educators, the win-at-all-cost philosophy and the student-athlete’s right to be provided a legitimate opportunity to earn a well-balanced academic, social and athletic experience — are issues that must be addressed not only on campus, but also in a highly visible and national forum. National dialogue serves to raise awareness and spur action at the local level. And because NCAA rules affect them most directly, student-athletes should be provided the opportunity to shape those rules….
“Currently, the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will report to a Management Council. consisting of athletics administrators, conference commissioners and faculty athletics representatives. This Management Council will then report to a Board of Directors consisting of presidents. While well intentioned, this structure is inadequate…student-athlete views, particularly those that are critical, are too often trivialized and dismissed by athletics administrators. Thus, the committee should be provided a direct line of access to the president’s board.”
Women in coaching
Myles Brand, presidentNational Collegiate Athletic Association
Arizona Daily Star
“We see a good number of young women starting in the coaching profession but not staying in it long enough to succeed, to move up to the head coaching level. I think that’s problematic, and many other people do as well.”
Jo Evans, head softball coach
Texas A&M University
The Daily Oklahoman
“At the risk of sounding like I don’t want men coaching, I really want women to have an opportunity to coach women. I think it’s really important that somebody gives them a chance and that they have an opportunity, a great role model for young women. I don’t think having men in (softball) takes away from that whatsoever. I just want to make sure that women continue to get great opportunities.”
Kathy Bull, women’s tennis coach
Ball State University
Ball State Daily News
“We have more kids wanting to be athletes, but there is a shortage (of women) on supervising and coaching these activities. I think the reason is that (fewer) women are becoming teachers and coaches. There is a more diverse job market now with more doors open to women. A lot of women are attracted to the business world...and everything is before them in whatever they do.”
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