North Carolina
NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
Published: 2011-10-26 17:16:00
Updated: 2011-10-27 10:58:13
Oct 27, 2011
Raleigh, N.C. — The current NCAA model does not benefit the student-athlete but nobody is in a hurry to change it according to attorney Robert Orr, former state Supreme Court Justice and current head of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law.
“I don't think the system, as it is now established, can be sustained over time, but there is so much money that the NCAA (brings in) from the universities that are constituent members, that there is this huge unwillingness to undertake the kind of really substantive reforms that need to be undertaken because it might jeopardize the flow of money," Orr said. “(I) think that's the real scandal, that university leaders know the system is broken and let it stay broken. (They) can't legislate (the) problem away.”
The NCAA, a private organization, has come under scrutiny on a national level recently for the way they balance the student-athlete label with their for-profit business model. Orr says that tension is glorified when athletes of marginal or disadvantaged backgrounds are expected to perform within the constraints of a multi-billion dollar system.
Orr posed the scenario of student-athletes getting reprimanded for selling jerseys when retailers, universities and the NCAA itself profit from similar sales.
“It's such a huge problem, and there are such huge amounts of money involved, that it may take the Congress," he said.
Tom Ross, president of the University of North Carolina System, agrees that big-time college programs have issues balancing the academic and athletic aspects of college students due to money.
"I think to the extent that there are problems, it's because there is pressure from the commercial side,” Ross said. “I think there are people who want to come together and look for solutions. What that will look like in the end, I don't know."
Bill Friday, former UNC system president, agrees that the financial aspect of intercollegiate sports is an issue, but argues that with an institution, such as the NCAA, having been created by a conglomerate of institutions, there is a gray area of control.
“There has never been a time when intercollegiate sports (was) in as much trouble as it is right now," Friday said. “(It) has all been a result of huge sums of money.
“If you want to see utter chaos, just take away the NCAA and have nothing. You can't solve a problem by eliminating the NCAA and then standing there empty handed."
Friday also added that the notion of college athletics has become more of a spectacle than a social benefit.
“What's got to come one of these days is the realization that you can't impose an entertainment industry upon an academic enterprise and expect it to work,” he said.
Friday, Ross and Orr all agree that academics need to remain in the forefront of discussions when it comes to the student-athlete experience.
At an NCAA leaders retreat in August, a talking point among presidents, chancellors and athletic directors was raising the bar for eligibility requirements and APR averages.
Critics argue that some student-athletes will be denied the opportunity to better themselves; proponents say the college experience will enhanced.
“The presidents are going to be looking at models that increase that standard that says a student must come in with a higher grade point average in academic courses in order to be eligible as freshman,” said NCAA Vice President for Academic and Membership Affairs Kevin Lennon. “That basically says we want better-prepared students coming to our four-year campuses.”
Orr wonders what will happen to the students who are not as prepared and require the extra help but also are expected to perform on the field.
“You bring in a student who is marginally prepared for university-level work, you give them a physically demanding 20- or 30-hour a week job, it is not unusual for them to really struggle academically," he said.
Orr also argues that accusing players of academic fraud should be approached cautiously because in many cases, the student actually does not know the help is an NCAA violation.
The NCAA says it recognizes certain shortfalls in both financial and academic models as they relate to the student-athlete and is actively pursuing ways to fix them.
Ideas of stipends, multi-year scholarships, increased academic standards, a simplified rule book and a focus on graduation rates are all topics being actively looked at according to Lennon.
“We do recognize we need to some things differently, and there is a clear commitment to doing so,” he said.
WRAL will have live reports from Indianapolis Thursday and Friday where UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp and Director of Athletics Dick Baddour will go before the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
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Most Recent Comments
RE: NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
How come we hear so much crying about the NCAA being unfair AFTER UNC commits the NCAA violations? How come we hear today about a new UNC compliance website and revised program, why didn't we hear about this 6 or 9 months ago, this mess came out over a yr ago?
UNC has been remiss in exercising control over an out-of-control football program. Heels, do yourselves a favor, stop making excuses, accept your punishment and grow from it. No sport, coach or prize is worth this scandal or this damage to your reputation.
- Posted by mrfree
We have accepted it and are ready to move on. The Red Ragers are going to keep bringing this up for at least 30 years. Until UNC is treated in a harsher manner than NCSU was 22 years ago, there are some that will never let this go and it will totally consume them and eat at them like a hate cancer until nothing is left but that raw hatred.
RE: NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
Uh, there are well thought of leaders all over who have said the NCAA needs a complete overhaul at a minimum, Jay Bilas, Charles Robinson, Patrick Hruby, Rick Harrow of Bloomberg, just to name a few. Only a total b*ffoon would assume that this is a UNC issue. You do realize that what Bill Friday and others are saying most likely will hurt UNC in the eyes of the NCAA and probably tick them off. These guys are looking out long term. Get your head out of the planet Uranus and use those 8 brain cells for something other than a miniature mosh pit.
- Posted by GhostofSmitty
This is SO FAR off base. These three monkeys are not looking out "long term", nor for college athletics in general. They are looking out for their beloved Tar Heels and trying to deflect blame in advance of the NCAA hammer coming down. Where in this article do either of the three monkeys ever own up to the idea that
UNC is culpable for their cheating in ANY WAY? Their actions are so transparent it is laughable.
You are a total dolt if you think anything is going to change what happens tomorrow and or at the end of the year when the punishment is finalized. I honestly can't beleive you that stoopid and if you are a graduate of one of our fine institutions and you think that then you cheated and lied to get your diploma, no way you earned it. UNC has recommended it's punishment and they will most likely accept it without any adds. Get over it Red Rager and crawl back into your troll hole.
If you could read my post you would have seen the phrase "the NCAA hammer coming down.", MEANING that I never expected the (bad) outcome to change because of the three monkeys' ramblings. They are simply trying to take the edge off the upcoming bad news by assigning blame for the problem to the NCAA.
And, once again, as you frequently have done in the past, spouting off personal attacks is a CLEAR admission that you have lost the argument. Also, seeing that you are the Rhodes Scholar among us, you might also want to check out rules for the proper use of apostrophes.
Tissue, shoulder, counseling, seadatives, puppy, an evening with Thomas? No personal attacks by me, just calling them as they are. Sorry the truth is brutal for you. Not sure what you are hunting for out of guys who are taking a macro look at the situation and are not commented on the UNC deal because there is nothing to say. They committed violations, they will pay. I'm not sure why you Red Rage away looking for something else out of someone to make you feel better and give your hate some sort of justification. But hatred is like that, it is a thirst never quenched.
RE: NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that so many people want to make this about UNC and not the NCAA. To suggest that Bill Friday's motivation is to deflect criticism from UNC demonstrates ignorance to an extraordinary degree. Dr. Friday has been the leading voice for reform in college athletics for more than 30 years.
Want to know why presidents can't reform this system? Look in a mirror. They can't do it because we won't let them. Let a university president unilaterally stop accepting student-athletes who aren't academically as qualified as the average student and he will be run out of town on a rail. By whom? By us - you, me, the fans - especially those of us who donate money to our favorite schools.
And if you believe that you are an exception, that you won't mind if your school stops being competitive in football or basketball, you are kidding yourselves. When the NC State faculty rebelled, and insisted that the academic abuses that occurred under Jim Valvano be corrected, Wolf Pack athletic fortunes went into a tailspin. How many Pack fans today do you suppose support those reforms? Contrast that with the number of fans who believe State was just a victim of a nefarious plot by the evildoers at UNC.
We want our school to have high academic standards, but not at the expense of our success in football. If we have to make a choice, we choose football success every time. We expect our coaches and administrators to do what's necessary to win, and to make sure we don't have to see what's necessary. We - the fans - are the hypocrites here.
- Posted by Ken D.
Standing O, Ken. As usual, you wrote an honest, intelligent, unbiased post, and you're spot on. Thank you, sir, for cutting through the BS. This isn't a "Carolina" or a "State" issue; it's an issue that is relevent to most, if not all, universities.
It is MOST CERTAINLY a Carolina/State issue when Friday treats UNC preferentially to NCSU under similar circumstances. That is not unbiased or fair in any way. UNC has 13% of the student body in the UNC system and yet 62% of the UNC BOG are UNC grads. UNC owns the institutions and therefore gets preferential treatment. This has to stop. Bill Friday is part of the problem. If he demands an independent investigation into the academic and recruiting misconduct in the athletic programs at UNC (as he did for NCSU) then he will have my respect once again.
With all due respect, ray, everything seems to be a Carolina/State issue with you. When have you ever made a post that wasn't directed at UNC? These are not the only two schools in the NCAA. There are about 350 schools giving football scholarships, and they are all affected by the problems that causes.
And where did you get your statistic about the percentage of UNC grads on the BOG? There was an thread last summer suggesting the new BOG forced the firing of Davis, so I researched the bios of the members. I don't recall nearly that many UNC grads. I remember being surprised how many weren't graduates of any of the 14 campuses.
Ken, you lost ALL credibilty with this post. The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of TRUSTEES forced the firing of Davis. The UNC SYSTEM Board of GOVERNORS is totally different. And yes, 60% of emebers are UNC grads.
The BoT fired Davis. The BoG turned a blind eye to events in Chapel Hill and let them investigate themselves. 20 years prior they ordered TWO independent investigations of NC State and recommended the self-imposed sanctions of 2 years post-season ban. You do realize the NC State coaching staff was cleared by the NCAA.
RE: NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
How come we hear so much crying about the NCAA being unfair AFTER UNC commits the NCAA violations? How come we hear today about a new UNC compliance website and revised program, why didn't we hear about this 6 or 9 months ago, this mess came out over a yr ago?
UNC has been remiss in exercising control over an out-of-control football program. Heels, do yourselves a favor, stop making excuses, accept your punishment and grow from it. No sport, coach or prize is worth this scandal or this damage to your reputation.
RE: NC leaders: NCAA is a broken system that nobody wants to change
Just keep hammering them smitty.....and you're right, most of these wulfpups have no concept or knowledge of the history of personalities that have commented on the overhauling of the NCAA....especially President Friday who for over 15-20 years have called for drastic changes for the NCAA....
GO HEELS!!
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