The Ncaa and Student Athlete Issues

Today, sports are no longer just fun and games, sports are now a business, and college sports are no different. College sports provide a huge source of universities’ income. The school takes in money from ticket sales, television contracts, and sport-related merchandise, just to name a few. With these sources of great revenue, comes the feeling of a “professionalization” of college athletics and in turn college athletes. The line between college athletes as Student-Athletes and college athletes as Athlete-Students has continued to blur, causing some major issues to arise with regards to athletics and academics. Some of the most primary issues currently affecting NCAA athletes are: academic support, the NBA age rule, eligibility and scholarships, and the academic progress rate (APR).
Academic Support
The perception of many student-athletes on college campuses, especially those in revenue-producing sports such as basketball and football, is that they are Athlete-Students rather than Student-Athletes. In most Division One universities special academic support facilities and resources are available to athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics. Most schools spend millions of dollars on facilities and support staffs to provide student athletes with the necessary assistance to help keep them eligible.
A New York Times article notes that many of the nation’s top athletic programs have invested significant funds in their athletic-academic programs. For example, Louisiana State University spent $15 million to build an academic center for athletes and the University of Georgia built a new facility for $7 million. Temple University increased its academic support budget for athletes by 34 percent after poor academic performance led to scholarship losses imposed by the NCAA. The Times also reported that the University of Southern California spends over $1.5 million annually on tutors and other academic support for its student athletes. The university has

References: Griffin, Tim. 2008. Big 12 commish proposes no redshirt, more eligibility. ESPN.com, May 20, 2008. Retrieved on June 4, 2008 from: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3405784 Keown, Tim. 2008. O.J. Mayo demonstrates the NBA eligibility rule is a disaster. ESPN.com, May 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 3, 2008 from: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keown/080513 NCAA. 2005. APR Questions and Answers. NCAA.org, February 28, 2005. Retrieved on June 4, 2008 from: http://www2.ncaa.org/portal/academics_and_athletes/education_and_research/academic_ reform/faq.html NCAA. 2007. Guide for the College-bound Student Athlete. 2006-2007 version. Retrieved on June 2, 2008 from: http://www.ncaa.org/library/general/cbsa/2006-07/2006-07_cbsa.pdf SFSU. 2007. San Francisco State University Intercollegiate Athletics Student-Athlete Handbook 2007-2008. Pgs. 7-10. Retrieved on June 4, 2008 from: http://athletics.sfsu.edu/includes/0708sahb.pdf Thamel, Pete. 2006. Athletes Get New College Pitch: Check Out Our Tutoring Center. New York Times, November 4, 2006. Retrieved on June 2, 2008 from: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE3D8103FF937A35752C1A9609C 8B63