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Chapter 12 Back to Basics For just as long as intercollegiate athletics have been a part of American higher education, concerns have been raised about their integrity and appropriateness within the university. Generation after generation has taken on the challenge of reforming college sports, and all have essentially failed. Before we join what has become a long tradition of proposing a set of remedies to cure the ills of college sports, I want first to take a somewhat different approach and address three fundamental questions . First, why should universities conduct intercollegiate athletics in the first place? After all, most universities around the world do not regard competitive sports as a significant component of their activities. Why have college sports become so important in the United States? Second, what are the key sources of the problems that have arisen over the years with college sports? What so distorts them from the amateur ideal, driving them toward commercialism and professionalization? What are the real risks posed by college sports to higher education? Third, we need to understand better why we have had so much difficulty in getting intercollegiate athletics under control. For over a century, college sports have faced problems of professionalism, commercialism, and misbehavior. Despite many efforts both within and external to higher education over this period, we still are unable to correct its deficiencies. Why? Finally, with this background, we are prepared to turn to the most difficult question: What can we do about it? How can we address the concerns about college sports? 263 The Fundamental Questions Fundamental Question 1: Why should universities conduct intercollegiate athletics in the first place? Answer: First and foremost, we should regard athletics as but one component of the opportunities for learning we provide our students. We should embrace the ideal of a scholar-athlete and its objective of educating the whole person, even if we realize this ideal is rarely achievable. We should also recognize the role of athletics as a spectator activity that unites our campuses and those who identify with our institutions, but this should always be a secondary priority. While it is true that intercollegiate athletics has become a major form of entertainment for the public at large, it is my belief that the university has no obligation to support or embrace this particular function. Fundamental Question 2: What causes the distortion of intercollegiate athletics? What generates the pressure? Answer: The entertainment industry, the broadcasting networks and sports media, have recognized the commercial value of college football and basketball. With the all-too-willing cooperation of higher education, they have transformed them into bigtime show business, driven by the commercial objectives and values of the entertainment industry. As a result, today football and basketball have little in common with other campus activities. They are conducted much as professional franchises, driven by goals such as national rankings, commercial appeal, market share, and coaching compensation. Concern about the welfare of studentathletes or the educational role of varsity competition has largely dropped off the radar screen of those responsible for the leadership and integrity of these activities, of coaches, athletic directors, governing boards, conferences, the NCAA, and, unfortunately, all too many college presidents. Fundamental Question 3: Why do universities have so much difficulty getting athletics under university control? Answer: The institutions and organizations responsible for controlling intercollegiate athletics—our universities, athletic conferences , and the NCAA itself—are unable to reconcile their con264 • INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY flicting objectives of maintaining the integrity of college sports and exploiting their great popularity in our society. They are unable or unwilling to acknowledge or cope with the pressures of the entertainment industry, which has captured college athletics and transformed athletic events into commercial products. The very organizations we depend upon to regulate intercollegiate athletics have frequently been co-opted by this commercial aspect since their activities are funded primarily by revenues from broadcasting contracts. Furthermore, these organizations have been given strong marching orders from their member universities to maximize revenues, even at the expense of educational values. Fundamental Question 4: What can we do about it? What can we do to tame the beast, to prevent intercollegiate athletics from threatening or undermining the character, mission, and reputation of our colleges and universities? How can we realign sports with the educational values and priorities of universities ? While I think the television moratorium idea I proposed in chapter 8 would make a great two-by-four to get the college-sports mule’s attention, in this...

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