Opinions

Recruiting practices

Joe Paterno, head football coach
Pennsylvania State University
St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Now everyone is talking about the solution (for cleaning up official visits). It's so unrealistic as to what the solution may be. The problem is how do we address the fact that kids don't know how to drink? We're talking about some kind of curfew, but how do we do that? (A curfew) sounds good. It sounds like we're being responsible. And somebody tells me to bring them in at (midnight) or 1 o'clock and then are you supposed to sit with them?"

Athletics issues

Vince Dooley, director of athletics
University of Georgia
Athletics Administration

"Athletics administrators will face increasing challenges to find the financial resources to fund all of the sports programs. This is especially challenging in the most visible sports of football and basketball where the passions runs so deep. Such issues as the escalating costs of athletics are reflected in the so-called 'arms race,' and continually rising coaches' salaries, especially in football and basketball, present problems not only for athletics administrators, but also for presidents who are trying to balance an inflated sports market economy within the framework of the academic mission of the institutions.

"There will be a continual need to search for new sources of revenue, especially through fund-raising, which has become increasingly important and will be even more so in the future."

Integrating athletics

Michael Adams, president
University of Georgia
Memphis Commercial Appeal

"I think there are a lot of people in positions of athletics leadership who understand their strength derives from the university. For instance, take basketball. Take the same five guys at any SEC school, put a CBA jersey on them and there won't be 600 people in the stands.

"It's the integrity of the various institutions that give this whole process credibility. I do think there is a reciprocal relationship as we go forward. I think the athletics programs are going to have to depend increasingly on the university's integrity, and the university's integrity is going to be highly influenced by what happens in athletics. We are truly all in this together."

Mike Slive, commissioner
Southeastern Conference
New Orleans Times-Picayune

"I don't know of any athletics director in our league who feels like they are operating an independent enterprise. Athletics are an important part of each institution, but they need to be part of the mission of the university."

Pay for play

Kirsten Olson, student-athlete
University of Rhode Island
Orlando Sentinel

"Crew teams don't make money. Softball teams don't make money. Tennis teams don't make money. All of this (football revenue) is going back. So if we have pay for play, it's going to be harder to find the money to support these nonrevenue sports."

College World Series

Dennis Farrell, commissioner
Big West Conference
Los Angeles Times

Discussing the Division I Baseball Championship's revenue potential:

"I don't think we've come anywhere close to peaking in terms of interest. We have to continue to grow interest in the Northeast and Midwest. There are huge population centers in those markets and in cities like New York, Chicago or Boston, we have to try to give those teams some opportunity to really compete for the national championship.

"That's where TV ratings have the greatest impact. With ratings comes revenue."