As the NCAA decides on its next leader, we asked a handful of experts what the hiring committee should be asking. Here are the best responses:
What would be your top three priorities as NCAA president?
—Nathan Tublitz, past co-chair, Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, and professor of biology, University of Oregon
What specific plans do you have for preserving or enhancing participation opportunities in college sports, specifically in Olympic and other nonrevenue sports?
—R. Scott Kretchmar, professor of exercise and sport science, Pennsylvania State University
How would you address the tension between the increasing commercialization of college sports and the continued insistence that student-athletes are not allowed to generate revenue for themselves or receive direct benefits, … [even though] their athletic performances are ostensibly the product on offer for sponsors?
—Dena Evans, former women’s cross-country coach, Stanford University
What is the role of the NCAA in shaping financial affairs in member universities as they relate to athletics?
—Peter W. Likins, former member, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, and president emeritus, University of Arizona
If both the federal government and the NCAA do not intervene, how do you see the financial picture in intercollegiate athletics changing over the next five or 10 years? Can current trends continue?
—Peter W. Likins
How do you see intercollegiate athletics becoming better partners with higher education’s primary academic missions and financial challenges?
—Gerald S. Gurney, president-elect, National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics, and senior associate athletics director for academics and student life, University of Oklahoma
Should Division I pass legislation similar to the recently passed Division II reform aimed at reducing time away from classes as well as travel costs? In other words, should the length of playing seasons be reduced?
—Todd A. Diacon, executive director of academic assessment, University of Tennessee
APR was a good first step to address issues of academic integrity. What next steps would you propose to improve student-athletes’ academic achievement, especially for football and basketball players?
—Jeffrey A. Hale, assistant dean, external relations, and director of liberal studies, Oregon State University
It is now 2020, and you have been NCAA president for 10 years. What accomplishments can you point to?
—Nathan Tublitz
Finally, given the complexity of issues facing the NCAA, why the hell would you want the job?
—Nathan Tublitz
What would you ask the candidates for the highest-profile job in college sports? Weigh in below, in the comment field.
4 Responses to Dear Future NCAA President …
rcsloan - April 2, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Would you support the establishment of an ongoing track record of (some minimum) graduation rates for athletic teams as a precondition for post-season play?
11244879 - April 2, 2010 at 5:14 pm
What are the education benefits do students who do not participate in intercollegiate athletics gain from having intercollegiate athletics on our campuses?
rappolt - April 2, 2010 at 5:49 pm
answer to nbr 2 …the same thing the choir or a drama production provides. Intercollegiate athletics is not for everyone but even for spectators it provides a unifying activity for the campus and the alumni like no other campus endeavor.
22118612 - April 5, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Current NCAA rules allow scholarships to be rescinded at the end of one year if athletes are injured or fail to meet a coach’s athletic expectations. This rule applies regardless of the athlete’s academic accompishments. Can you explain how this rule furthers the academic interests of college athletes, and differs from an employment contract?