Integrity matters

[Cheesesteak]

Posted on Tue, Jan. 27, 2004

NCAA president: Schools should be like Penn State
By Gwenn Miller
Centre Daily Times


UNIVERSITY PARK - When NCAA President Myles Brand looks at college athletic programs as a whole, he sees problems.

Penn State, apparently, is excluded from that sometimes-grim picture.

Brand is on a two-day visit to Penn State to speak at events and meetings and talk to student-athletes about their perceptions of sports and education.

"Penn State is the poster child for doing it right in college sports," Brand said, "and it's fun to hear (the student athletes') comments and the respect they have for the institution."

Penn State President Graham Spanier said he was delighted with Brand's observation and attributed the university's traditionally high graduation rates to its employees. Penn State has a strict system of checks and balances, he said, and a top-notch compliance system.

Spanier said Penn State's academic standards for its athletes are higher than for the rest of the Big Ten.

"This is not typical at most universities," Spanier said. "All of these things are designed to infuse integrity and checks and balances into the system so that academics is first, not athletics."

Brand said there are a number of issues his organization must address, including graduation rates, gambling, and keeping programs competitive when universities are under financial pressure. He was also concerned about what he sees as an increased focus on the business of college sports, such as conference realignment and the Bowl Championship Series.

"It has to take place but that interest, particularly to the public's attention, overshadows something that's even more important," Brand said. "And that's the value of college athletics to a university, the role that student athletes play within the university in increasing in increasing educational developmental activities for themselves and for others and the positive influence college sports has on the entire campus."

But for Brand at Monday's news conference, there was no escaping the questions about bowl games and playoffs in college football. In other words, the business of college sports.

Brand said the NCAA has no control over a playoff system in football, or lack thereof, and that the members make those decisions. When asked what his personal preference would be, Brand said he simply wanted the game to be as exciting as possible for fans, and that there are many avenues to do so.

"The president of the NCAA is not the czar of college sports," Brand said.

Spanier, who serves on the university presidents' oversight committee of the BCS, said the unanimous sentiment among the committee members is that they do not want to see an NFL-style playoff.

"We have asked our (conference) commissioners to look at alternative models to what currently exists," Spanier said, "but the changes they're exploring are not substantial."

Brand also fielded questions on graduation rates, which he said in some sports were "nothing less than abominable."

The NCAA is putting forth a resolution to its board of directors in April that will include incentives and disincentives in order to boost those numbers, Brand said.

"What that says is student-athletes, unless they reach a certain level of graduation and academic performance, teams will be penalized in terms of loss of scholarships, postseason play, and ultimately perhaps, even worse, deceritification," Brand said.

The organization is also changing its methods of measuring graduation rates because the current six-year rate does not include transfers. The board will review the new six-year rate in April, Brand said.

One of the methods the NCAA is using to promote academic reform is reaching out to high school students to emphasize the value of a college education. Brand said student-athletes also have an obligation to balance their time in the classroom with time in athletics once they arrive at college. Together, the institution and the student-athlete are responsible for academic success.

[No Quarter]

Are there any current or former SMU players on this board who were recruited by Penn State? How did you feel about Paterno and company? A good program I'm sure, but did it seem a football factory or a step above the usual?

[HighfalutinHorse]

...I'll NEVER forget, BETA frat house "backyard bball tourney"..remember that? I was talking with Craig James, he told me that Mr. Paterno and Co. are NOT the angels they are potrayed to be when it comes to "clean recruiting".....put THAT in your NCAA pipe and toke it!

[Cheesesteak]

I realize that No Quarter's question is about recruiting, but in relation to the article's focus (academics, graduation rates and the business of college sports) Penn State is a excellent role model.

SMU, I believe, can also be a role model.

SMU's high graduation rates and academic integrity combined with ongoing and cautious losening of recruiting restrictions can be a potent combination.

Also, in response to HighfalutinHorse...there is a huge difference between being tough and agressive recruiters and being "un-clean" recruiters.

I follow the minutia of Penn State recruiting the way Stallion follows the minutia of SMU recruiting. Penn State has never come close to attracting a preliminary NCAA investigation in any sport.

Myles Brand would not associate the NCAA with the values of any university (especially during a proposed era of reforms) unless that university's sports programs are the zenith of integrity.

[EastStang]

Of course, Myles Brand fired Bobby Knight who while volcanic and a blowhard, seemed to run a clean program and graduated his players.

[ponyte]

Talked to Tony Dorsett once. Early 80s. He said the only reason he did not go to Penn State is because Joe et al would not meet or beat Pitt's offer. Then he went into details about the differences between the two schools' deals. The NCAA has several sacred cows that will never be investigated or even question. Obviously, SMU isn't one of those schools.

[Boston Pony]

Being born & raised in PA, I know many of the players and coaches under Joepa. While individual issues about 'grey' areas may exist (summer jobs, etc), nothing occurs at Penn State - it didn't have to for many years. As an example, PSU has 'fallen' because so many of his great assistants (& recruiters) aren't there anymore. There are many more schools to look at that have real problems. Penn State is a good model - some of the other schools are more 'factory' like i.e. graduation rates, recruiting / academic issues

[OldPony]

Remind me- How many games did PSU win last year?

[Dooby]

Originally posted by OldPony:
Remind me- How many games did PSU win last year?

That would be THREE.

By the way, losing seasons 3 of the last 4 years.

[Stallion]

Remind me again-what is their athletic budget, their number of alumni and students, the size of the stadium, the Conference they play in and the name of the Private School Joepa coaches? Further, I've been informed that Joepa has signed one of the Top JUCO LBs in the country so we know he must be evil(or at least desperate)

<small>[ 01-27-2004, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: Stallion ]</small>

[gostangs]

He is evil -it was sympathy for that ol windbag that cost us our national championship in the 80's(well maybe our tie had something to do with it, but I'd rather [deleted] about Penn State. I have rooted vs them ever since - and it makes me happy to see them starting to make tiny circles round the porcelin.

[Cheesesteak]

Posted by Stallion:

Remind me again-what is their athletic budget, their number of alumni and students, the size of the stadium, the Conference they play in and the name of the Private School Joepa coaches?

Integrity matters whether an organization...has a large or small budget; a lot of employees/members or only one; a huge corporate headquarters or a garage office; is a member of a consortium or is independent; is public or is privately owned.

This concept applies to intercollegiate athletics.

In any endeavor some people don't understand or they actively reject the concept that integrity matters.

<small>[ 01-27-2004, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Cheesesteak ]</small>

[OldPony]

Dooby for the love of God, please change your Avatar.

[Boston Pony]

As the 'thread' is titled, Integrity Matters, Penn State runs a true ship. The integrity that JoePa has now was there during the title years. Has JoePa stated too long? IMO yes, however we shouldn't question his or their integrity. It was right for Miles Brand to place Penn State as a model. I also like what Stanford has done out here. They are a great academic university that wins at all levels, although more at basketball than at football these days. Their facilities are first rate, although not huge or gaudy. They have great graduation rates & yet win the Sears Trophy every year, while competing in the PAC 10.

[Cheesesteak]

Penn State athletics is what is right and good in college sports.

In an imperfect college sports world - Penn State, although not perfect, is as perfect as it gets.

<small>[ 01-27-2004, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: Cheesesteak ]</small>