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Academic accountability plan needed

The NCAA and its member schools have agreed to open up the purse strings a little by agreeing to pay more to the student-athletes who make the major revenue possible in the first place.

I agree with this change and can remember Joe Paterno advocating this many years ago.

Years ago, I would probably have been on the other side of this argument, thinking that the opportunity for a good college education was more than enough for the scholarship given to athletes.

Age has a way of changing attitudes and how we look at things so give them the extra money along with the chance for a college education, but here’s where the rub is for me.

Many of these so-called student-athletes never do get a college education.

Many leave early for the pros, and somehow I’m thinking that if schools are going to give the athlete more than they have had in the past, then the school deserves something in return – something like a contract that commits players to four years at the school.

Now if that doesn’t work for the athlete, then there is always the pro route – and if they really think they are that good, then skip school and try to make the pros.

A few big-name failures will have the kids being recruited changing for the better.

But the very worst of this, in my mind, is the role of the academic advisor, compliance officer or some other person with a different title who is responsible for making sure that the athletes are taking meaningful classes toward a degree and actually attending and participating in those classes. Does anyone really think that every student-athlete is going to class, studying and doing their own work?

This part of the student-athletes’ college experience really needs to be reviewed, scrutinized like never before and strongly enforced with the message that with your scholarship and more spending money and transportation help for parents to attend games, there is now player responsibility as part of the deal.

To date it never has been.

It will probably take additional academic staff that is serious about their position and coaches who understand and accept the new rules.

Without something like this, our academic institutions are really not preparing students for the real world that lies ahead.

While world-class athletes might be produced, most of them have no idea how many more fail when they get to the professional level than those who actually make a good living off of their chosen sport.

The failure numbers are staggering so where do these kids end up?

I’d make it as simple as possible for the athlete and their parents.

Give them a written agreement/contract, that they don’t need an attorney to understand it, and list what the school would provide down one side and what the student/athlete must do to remain eligible down the other side.

It’s a sad situation that has been going on forever, and people like me for years never thought a thing was wrong with it. But it has to change, and who will the courageous change agents be?

Will Walk

Spring, Texas

Glad to see ‘Nova victory

I was thrilled when Villanova won the NCAA championship on Monday night on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

And you had to know that one of Jay Wright’s former coaches, Pat Chambers, was following his former mentor and rooting for the Wildcats to win. Sure, Wright has the inside circle on the hotbed of players in the Philly area, but there is enough to go around for Chambers to build his program at Penn State.

Many years ago, when I was on the North Fork of Long Island in New York, I was coaching CYO basketball, and I got to meet Rollie Massimino, who was the guest speaker of our banquet. I was happy to see him sitting behind the Villanova bench on Monday night.

It was a sad night for Roy Williams, a classy gentleman, and his Tar Heels. But with the NCAA now investigating this team, focusing on academic violations, the night could even get darker on the University of North Carolina, resulting in heavy sanctions.

Les Hart

Duncansville

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