The tension between universities' academic mission and major athletics programs often boils down to a question of double standards.
Coaches and fans want to recruit outstanding players. They want admissions officers to give the green light, sometimes waiving the standards that other, "regular" students must meet. The admissions office has to decide how far over backwards to bend.
This sort of bargaining takes place at universities and colleges large and small. If a university intends to field a football team, there must be enough students enrolled who are capable of playing. But let the standards slip often or far enough, and a school can earn a reputation as a "football factory," say, that's hard to shake.
Then, once student-athletes are on campus, comes the effort to make sure they get acceptable grades. Will it mean that the fellow who electrifies the stadium on Saturday with his touchdowns also does the same kind of coursework that regular students must do? Or will allowances be made?
Reformers years ago began trying to prevent universities from letting student-athletes skate by without meeting standards that applied to other students. Prominent in that effort was the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, co-chaired by William Friday, president emeritus of the University of North Carolina system.
Now a major Knight Commission recommendation has borne fruit. The NCAA, which sets the rules for intercollegiate athletics, last week agreed that unless at least half the players on a team are on track to graduate, the team won't be eligible for post-season play. Not being able to go to a bowl game or participate in a tournament would represent a significant penalty in lost revenues and a disappointment for fans.
On its face, requiring only a 50 percent Academic Progress Rate seems too generous. But with that standard in effect, several teams would not have made the post-season schedule last year, including basketball champs Connecticut.
Schools must resist the temptation to further water down their standards just so more players can remain on the graduation track. But as Friday told The N&O, the new rule amounts to a "pivotal point" in college athletics reform. The tension between academics and athletics is still there, driven by the lure of money and fame. At least in one respect, though, the academic side has gained an edge.
