Date Posted:19:12:04 05/14/04 Fri Author: hcfan Subject: macfarland article
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Fr. Michael C. McFarland, President, College of the Holy Cross
CEOs Must Confine 'Madness' To Court
Editorial That Appears In The May 10 Edition Of The NCAA News
May 14, 2004
By Michael C. McFarland
President, College of the Holy Cross
Reprinted from the May 10 edition of The NCAA News
The on-court statistics from the recent Division I men's basketball tournament were impressive. Nonetheless, there's a sour aftertaste to what's popularly termed "March Madness" because off-court statistics have been depressing.
Athlete graduation rates among top programs in men's basketball (and football) are dismal. In many programs, fewer than half the recruited athletes receive a degree within the six-year period considered normal for traditional college students. Often they are left with very little preparation for a future beyond athletics. It is no wonder that many of these athletes end up feeling exploited, so much so that some are demanding that they be paid for their labors on the field and on the court. Moreover, the many scandals we have endured over the past 18 months show what can happen when highly recruited athletes are brought in with little connection to the intellectual and community life of the university, inadequate supervision and a distorted sense of privilege.
There certainly are plenty of temptations to be part of March Madness. A school that reaches the Sweet Sixteen is likely to be featured in many stories, some on a national scale. The coverage can extend beyond the team to some of the unique characteristics of the institution itself. Even a president who thinks a pick-and-roll is a fancy deli sandwich can suddenly get very interested in basketball when the national media come calling.
The attention is even more intense when a relative unknown suddenly rises up to upset more famous and highly favored rivals. I was at Gonzaga University a few years ago when it came out of the West Coast Conference to beat Minnesota, Stanford and Florida to reach the Elite Eight, barely losing to eventual national champion Connecticut. Everyone was charmed by the obscure school with the unpronounceable name and the unassuming, articulate players and coach. The interest was so intense that the local network affiliates had their remote trucks parked permanently on campus for the duration of the tournament run.
The impact on the school was enormous. Applications increased by 30 percent the next year, and the growth continued in subsequent years as Gonzaga continued its tournament success. This allowed the university to increase its first-year class size from 500 to 600 to close to 1,000 without any loss of quality, helping it to grow out of a budget crisis.
Of course Gonzaga is a fine school with much to offer. Students do not choose to go there simply because of its success in basketball. But the extensive exposure it has received because of basketball has made many more potential students aware of its attractions, with obvious benefits to the school.
Even well-established institutions have leveraged successful sports programs to intensify interest among potential students, resulting in more selective admissions, and enhanced rankings and reputations. Notable examples are Georgetown, Duke, Boston College, Notre Dame and Southern California. A winning team, especially one with national visibility, can increase interest, loyalty and commitment among current students, alumni and other important constituencies. It is no wonder that many presidents, trustees and other campus leaders see intercollegiate sports as a tool for institutional advancement, no matter what their personal feelings about them are.
But here's where the problems begin: Winning at the level required to make the Sweet Sixteen in basketball or a major bowl in football requires incredible talent. The number of athletes coming out of high school who are real "difference makers" is limited. Even fewer also have the intellectual ability, scholastic background and commitment to be successful college students -- far fewer than required by all the institutions looking to build or maintain big-time sports programs. As a result, there is intense competition for the best athletes, which leads many schools to lower admission standards dramatically for athletes, and recruiters to offer the kind of attractions that 18-year-old boys dream about.
As a consequence, many college athletes are unprepared, uninterested and uncomfortable in the classroom and exist in a culture that tolerates and even fosters boorish, destructive and illegal behavior. Many presidents, uncomfortable though they may be with this state of affairs, turn a blind eye on the situation in hopes that it will not blow up and embarrass them and their institutions. They are convinced, often by the urging of their coaches and fans, that adhering too strictly to standards will cost them their competitive edge and all the strategic advantages that go with it.
Presidents will get the problem under control only by taking action together, in ways that go beyond the rather modest proposals now before the NCAA. They need to set admissions standards to ensure that any athlete admitted is equipped to become a successful student; and they need to set and enforce high expectations for athletes as students and as members of the community. This seems simple enough, but evidently it is not happening.
Nevertheless it is possible. In the Patriot League, to which Holy Cross belongs, each school calculates an academic index (AI) based on the SAT scores and high-school rank or grade-point average for each recruited athlete. Both individual AIs and team averages are expected to be consistent with those of the student body as a whole. Each year the presidents review the results and hold one another accountable for any exceptions. A similar system is used in the Ivy Group. Once they matriculate, these student-athletes are held to the same standards as other students, both in and out of the classroom. The result is the highest graduation rates reported by any league in Division I athletics and student-athletes who consistently go on to become successful leaders in their chosen fields after graduation.
Admittedly, Patriot League schools are not typical Division I schools. They are among the smallest in Division I and are more selective and demanding academically than all but a few of their Division I brethren. Nevertheless, they are an example of how Division I-level athletics can be done in ways that do not do violence to the ideals of academic integrity and community responsibility that all of us espouse.
I believe that athletics can build character, leadership and teamwork in ways that add value to the academic experience. The result can be a stronger graduate better prepared to contribute to his or her community and nation. Unfortunately, that is not what we're seeing in many colleges and universities that have been "led to (sports) temptation."
Perhaps "March Madness" is the right name after all.
Michael C. McFarland is president at College of the Holy Cross.
Note the following quote for all of you who think that the Administration at HC is oblivious to the benefits of a successful atheletic program.
"The impact on the school was enormous. Applications increased by 30 percent the next year, and the growth continued in subsequent years as Gonzaga continued its tournament success. This allowed the university to increase its first-year class size from 500 to 600 to close to 1,000 without any loss of quality, helping it to grow out of a budget crisis.
Of course Gonzaga is a fine school with much to offer. Students do not choose to go there simply because of its success in basketball. But the extensive exposure it has received because of basketball has made many more potential students aware of its attractions, with obvious benefits to the school."
After re-reading my post I probably should have added:
They may not be acting on their awareness of the benefits of a successful D1 athletic program in a way you would like, but they are not as clueless as they are sometimes make out to be.
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Re: macfarland article -- most intelligent read here in a long time, 08:48:41 05/15/04 Sat
HC has always recruited and graduated high quality student atheletes/citizens. They didn't need the PL with the dramatic de-emphasis to prove a point. What kind of people are Ron Perry Jr., Chris Potter, Mike Vicens? They were absolutely prepared for life after college. They were excellent student atheletes and representatives of the institution. They WOULD NOT have come to HC if it were in the PL.
those 3 were 25 years ago--the college landscape has changed drastically in those years-if we were to lower our standards,what courses would these marginal students take?our small, all liberal arts profile makes some of the posters' desire to be another wake,gonzaga,xavier,etc. impossible-all those schools have made exceptions for students that hc would not be able to get a degree
You are absolutely right hc hoops, those 3 definitely would not come to hc today, and the reason is simple, they would not want to play in arguably the worst league in D-1, supremely qualified academic students who are also top flight athletes won't even consider hc because of the league affiliation. McFarland obviously adheres to Brooks philosophy that hc is not in the entertainment business. By the way when Mike O'Donnell was recently contacted by RW about transferring to hc, he said he's not interested in playing in the PL.
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Re: perry, jr -- pitt65, 11:40:25 05/15/04 Sat
Heard Perry, Jr. on a radio interview about 5 years ago and he was very uncertain about whether he would have come to HC if he had to make the choice at that time. It sounded to me that if he weren't such a loyal alum he would have given the interviewer a flat out "no".
You will always have two camps on these issues. One, which was with HC thru the good years and ones who jumped on after the induction on the PL.
It seems everyone who goes back pre (and I will not even go bact to 1980) 1991 (last NIT berth), you have a hard time pushing the PL on these people.
I am with the camp that sees the PL as a huge blunder and will always be a ball and chain that HC should never have had to carry. The PL is what is was said to be 20 years ago: DE-EMPHESIS IN SPORTS!!! What does it take for people to see that. We keep getting our hopes up when we see an O'donnell or an Oates on the radar screen, but the true facts are these kids are not that high a level and we usually never have any chance of getting them.
We want to see HC get some quality games, especially at the Centrum. Fact: It will not happen as nobody with an RPI higher than 100 will play a PL school on their home court.
Would Perry, Vincens, Potter, Cousy, Heinsohn and even Pernell would have ever played here if we in the PL at that time? C'mon! You gave up these type of academic/athletic players when you came to the PL. You gave up quality games on a home/home basis. You gave up regional TV and possible national coverage. You gave up Media coverage. You gave up WAY TO MUCH... and I am still waiting for a good reason why!
I am not an alum, but if I was, I would be like 1843 and have closed my check book to HC a while ago.
And with this missive as a back drop, we have the following:
1) HC once again finishing DEAD LAST in that 'President's Cup' thingee in Patriot League athletic competition. How many years is it now since forming the Patriot League - and counting - that HC has 'won' this title ?
2) HC being outspent on athletic support by every other Patriot member.
3) HC showing a COMBINED NET LOSS OF OVER $7 MILLION BUCKS in it's athletic programs....ANNUALLY.
4) HC being the ONLY school in the Patriot League without an athletic booster club/organization to benefit it's student-athletes.
5) HC having a football program reaching down to the depths of Duquesne and Marist as gridiron 'opponents' in desparate search of 'victory'.
Oh and hey Father Mike, guess what ! Led by a point guard who is a DEAN'S LIST/3.9 GPA soph to be, who was picked as the ACC's 'Rookie of the Year' and a finalist for National Freshman of the Year, Wake Forest, a school with around 4,000 undergrads, has been pegged by Sports Illustrated as it's pre-season pick for #1 next season !
Oh and hey, how come HC was getting - and graduating - better student-athletes, both in academics and in athletic talent, WITH ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS in pre-Patriot League days than we have since formation of the Patriot League ?
And from a purely academics viewpoint, how come it's acceptable to annually recruit 30-35 football players under the so-called 'need-based formula' than 16-17 under the evil 'athletic scholarship' formula ?
CONGRATULATIONS Father ! Keep up the good work ! I'm sure ya got an 'attaboy' from John Brooks on this one....or perhaps did he pen and prepare this beauty for your signiture maybe ? Carry on....someday you're sure to be allowed to break bread in one of Princeton's blue-blood dining clubs ! Hey....if he's still kickin', maybe good old Derek Bok will 'sponsor' you for membership !
