Everybody has an opinion.\u00a0 We hear it all the time. That\u2019s especially true when the conversation turns to sports – the more passionate the subject, the more vehement the position.\u00a0 I suppose I am no different.\u00a0 But there is one new area in college athletics that has me on the proverbial \u201cfence\u201d.\u00a0 I just do not know where I stand.<\/p>\n
There is a new eligibility rule that will go into effect in 2016 for high school athletes looking to compete in college athletics as a freshman. \u00a0The rule, adopted in 2012, requires that a high school athlete has a grade point average of 2.3 (up from 2.0) in 16 (up from 13) core courses, 10 of which must be completed by the junior year.\u00a0 The NCAA adopted the change to insure young athletes are more academically prepared for the rigors of college academics.\u00a0 This standard must be achieved in order for a student-athlete to play as a college freshman.<\/p>\n
The new standards will most impact college basketball and football. The NCAA reported in a poll taken in 2010 that, under the new standard, 43% of college basketball players and 35% of football players would not have been eligible to play as freshmen (15% for all athletes).<\/p>\n
The NCAA likens this to an academic redshirt year.\u00a0 Students can still receive scholarships and practice with the team and be considered a freshman the following year in terms of eligibility.\u00a0 The hope is that students are as academically prepared for the demands of college as much as being athletically prepared.\u00a0 It sounds good.<\/p>\n
On one hand, requiring greater standards for college students cannot be a bad thing especially in light of the grading scandals that have occurred recently at some of the more revered college programs.\u00a0 Some would certainly argue that a student who cannot meet this minimum requirement does not belong in college anyway.<\/p>\n
Many coaches, however, disagree.\u00a0 They point to the fact that a student\u2019s senior year in high school has little or no value if minimum standards have already not been met by their junior year.\u00a0 The NCAA found that 37% of New York students and 44% of Philadelphia students would not be certified to play under the new rule.\u00a0 Historically, that number had been about 10%.\u00a0 Some coaches feel that the new rule unfairly targets young minority athletes from both low-income homes and less than stellar school districts.\u00a0 Add to that, those who go to prep school can only use one course to apply for certification.\u00a0 The critics of the rule cite many examples of student-athletes who used the opportunity to attain a college degree to create a better life.<\/p>\n
I would be happy to tell you where I stand on this issue, but I just don\u2019t know.\u00a0 But I will be quite interested to follow the ramifications of the new rule.\u00a0 Will students adapt and raise their personal standards and achieve more or will fewer students ever get the opportunity to attend college as a reward for their athletic abilities?\u00a0 Stay tuned.<\/p>\n
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n