The NCAA new requirements are posted for review. Basically it's a penalty if your athletes fail to meet certain graduation requirements while they participate in sports and after. The coaches/ncaa compliance office now have to make sure that athletes are not just there for sports only. Wow, imagine that!

The last two categories really sums it up.



http://www2.ncaa.org/media_and_events/association_news/ncaa_news_online/2005/02_14_05/front_page_news/4204n01.html

NCAA hands out grades for academic progress
By Marcus Nelson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

BOCA RATON ? The NCAA's academic progress grading system was released Monday, and many athletic administrators aren't happy with the criteria.

They might be even unhappier next year when the Division I Academic Progress Rate reports will carry penalties, including the loss of scholarships.


"It's a significantly better gauge that we have had in the past, but every system has its flaws," Florida Atlantic Athletic Director Craig Angelos said. "We want to put together a position paper that outlines where we are and an explanation each of student-athlete that was counted against us."

Under the system, any sport that has a rate below a 925 (out of a possible 1,000) could be penalized. The number is determined by a points formula that rewards long-term eligibility and retention of student-athletes. Programs can lose points when athletes transfer, drop out, leave for the pros or become academically ineligible while still at the school.

Baseball and men's basketball appear to be vulnerable because of the possibility of athletes transferring or turning pro.

The men's basketball team at Florida, for instance, had four players transfer or turn pro and had a score of 875.

"There are some teams that are not at the target number, but there are reasons leading to that score," Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley said. "The departure of a student-athlete for whatever reason impacts that score. The NCAA is currently evaluating this impact and several modifications are being studied."

If a team's score does not reach a 925, the NCAA will apply a more scrutinized formula called the "upper confidence boundary." Under this formula, some teams are not anticipated to face penalties even if their score is below a 925.

For example, of the 18 programs at the University of Miami, the men's basketball team was the only program that did not reach a 925. But the team was anticipated to exceed the mark next year.

"We're looking forward to continuing it," Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee said. "We've worked hard with the student-athletes. All schools do. I'd be surprised if many schools had any big problems, and I would be very surprised if they didn't have measures to be able to correct them. So I think even though some people might slip a little low, we'd have a chance to get it turned around."

Violating teams could lose up to 10 percent of their awardable scholarships. Football teams could lose up to nine scholarships.

And while this year's numbers don't carry immediate penalties, they will serve as warnings, when sanctions will be imposed.

"It's too soon to tell how we did, but it gives us a good idea," said Michael Allen, FAU's director of academic support. "Everybody is being very cautious."

Of the 5,720 Division I teams, about 410 risk penalties. About half of the nation's 328 Division I schools have at least one team that could face sanctions, according to the NCAA's preliminary report.

''We hope the behavior changes and the number of teams will actually go down over time,'' NCAA President Myles Brand said.

FAU President Frank Brogan would like to see some changes made with the way the percentages are calculated.

"I'm very enthusiastic the NCAA is taking a high profile position on academics," Brogan said. "We'll get our people together and look at where we did well, where we can do better and where we'd like the NCAA to tweak the system."

Eventually the NCAA will use a four-year rolling average, but this year's numbers are for one year. The most prominent programs that appeared in trouble were the men's basketball teams at Fresno State and Baylor. Fresno State received a 611, while Baylor scored 647. Baylor's figure was affected by the transfer of several players after the 2003 shooting death of Patrick Dennehy.

Officials from some schools expressed their concerns with the scores. At Maryland-Baltimore County, the men's indoor track team scored a 600 ? a figure athletic director Charles Brown had already told NCAA officials was wrong.

''To be considered well below the cutline is very embarrassing and it hurts our recruiting,'' Brown said. ''It's extremely upsetting that the NCAA released something when they know there are some flaws. This is an honors institution.''

Staff writer Jorge Milian, correspondent Gregg Girvan and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

I like the fact that they are putting more emphasis on education and making sure that more student athletes do graduate - could have an impact on students leaving early, which could do a big disservice for the university.

These scholarships that are given could start looking like contract, with conditions based on an athlete conditions that he graduates. Should be interesting how this palys out in the long run. If a students choose to leave early he should now be held more accoutable for his decision - he was recruited based that he would give the program four years, right now there are no penalties for a student leaving early.

With the higher standards placed on academics, hopefully the NCAA will see that this far more important then some silly attendance issue.

The contract issue may not be a bad idea for accountability for the athletes. Academics of some of the athletes also needed to be addressed.
What was that football sports joke?
"When was the last time 90,000 people filled up a stadium to watch a chess tournement".

Guess what? They may be filling it up to watch those type (academically sound) of players now anyway.

Stanford vs Duke in the 2008 BCS bowl… ;D

O.G. we talked about this very thing in a previous post about how the playing field may level dramaticaly. In a way I'm surprised some of the "Big" schools have'nt said much about this.

Good question Talon. Looking at the rate among bigger schools, they have a little breathing room for awhile. My guess is that it will hit later this year when the summer sessions are in full effect and they see they may be missing players.


National scores. Check out FAU's position!!!!

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http://tampatrib.com/sportsnews/MGBTH1KIR5E.html

Yon mean Mr. Putz's has no ammo out of all this :-X

Give it time.............tick tock tick tock.

O.G. we talked about this very thing in a previous post about how the playing field may level dramaticaly. In a way I'm surprised some of the "Big" schools have'nt said much about this.

What can they say that won't make them look bad, if they fight it, it would show that education is second fiddle to atheletics and most have a passing score anyway. It does however change the way they will recruit in the near future - they won't take chaces on the border line kids anymore. The kids will have to start focusing on there future palns a little earlier and could start putting more pressure at the high school level - which I believe they too have raised their standards for student atheletes to participate in after school activities.

Overall, it will have a positive effect with everyone involved.

A smaller school like FAU are the ones that have to be more stringent about this - we have had our owns problems and from a new program it was to be expected and I can see our grade getting better with time.