Janelle Strawsburg
Staff Writer
The NCAA has approved new academic standards for Division 1 universities that could lead to the reduction of scholarships for schools with poor academic performances by their athletic teams, a move that marks the first phase of a landmark academic reform package.
These new rules, passed Jan. 10 by NCAA’s board of directors, are determined by a team falling below the Academic Progress Rate of 925. The APR is based on individual performance and retention of student athletes; it is roughly equivalent to an expected graduation rate of 50 percent.
These sanctions will begin to take effect during the 2005-2006 season, or the 2006-2007 season, depending on the scholarship commitments made by schools. However, if they were in effect this year, 51.2 percent of all Division 1 schools would have at least one team below the APR.
During the 2003-2004 school year, Pepperdine athletes had a graduation rate of 82 percent, well above that of Seaver’s cumulative student body.
“You’ll find that most Pepperdine student-athletes are eligible and finding success in class,” Athletic Direct Dr. John Watson said. “If they do leave Pepperdine it is to either play professionally or to transfer to another school in order to have more playing experience.”
Watson doesn’t fear being penalized under the new standards based on Pepperdine’s past academic performance. However, he is concerned over some of the new rules.
“My primary concern is what happens when athletes leave to play professionally,” Watson said. “The standards must accommodate those who are making satisfactory academic progress, but choose to follow a dream to play professionally. Losing a scholarship because someone in good academic standing decides to play professionally seems unfair. Why should anyone be penalized?”
The lost scholarships Watson refers to are the coinciding penalties associated with the new rules. They state that an institution may not re-award the scholarship of a student athlete who left school to an eligible entering athlete.
Watson and Karin Taylor, director of Academic Services, are proactively pursuing action to ensure that all Pepperdine athletes remain eligible.
“Three or four years ago we instituted an academic support program for all student-athletes,” Watson said. “ It is a service that provides personal guidance, helps an athlete explore how they best learn and assists freshmen to stay focused as they transition to the college experience.”
But students are the only beneficiaries of the program.
“We also assist in faculty communication, so faculty is aware of when athletes are traveling,” Taylor said.
More than 5,000 teams will be affected once the standards are enforced. The sports affected the most with at least one athlete below the standard are football at 30.7 percent, baseball at 23.9 percent, men’s basketball at 20.1 percent, estimated the NCAA. This places an enormous amount of pressure on coaches to ensure the academic success of their athletes, not only to retain eligible players but also to ensure continued scholarship money.
Women’s basketball Head Coach Julie Rousseau said she strongly believes in the academic advising team at Pepperdine.
“Our coaching staff drafts academic ‘teams,’ and we advise them weekly. We help them stay on track with their weekly assignments, as well as provide a support system for them, to make sure no one falls through the cracks.
“I think we need to uphold the name of the student athlete and that integrity associated with it,” Rousseau added. “I’m a firm believer in education and in meeting kids where they are.”
Baseball Head Coach Steve Rodriguez said he is also not greatly concerned over the new standards.
“Pepperdine standards are so much higher than NCAA standards, so when it comes to recruiting it doesn’t affect us that much,” he said.
“We make sure our players graduate, that they get the classes they need and that they have quite a few units,” he added. “In fact, some have to miss practice in order to attend their classes. You have to give them credit — it is a tough thing to be an athlete, and they do a great job of managing their time.”
Watson also hopes to keep all athletes eligible by keeping a more watchful eye on their academic progress.
“I think we need to monitor eligibility more frequently,” he said. “Given the new standards, a review of academic progress each semester is appropriate.”
Colleges will receive their individual APR reports in February to inform them of the final APR score for each team and the overall rate of the institution. These notices will also tell what penalties would have been applied had the sanctions been in effect. Pepperdine has not yet received their APR report for this year; however, Watson doesn’t believe that any Pepperdine teams will be in jeopardy.
The committee approved only the present penalties of the plan. The historic penalties that are designed to be more punitive will be finalized next year. If a team is consistently under the APR score, they could not only lose financial aid, but also possibly be ineligible for post-season play, and lose NCAA membership status.
Watson endorses the NCAA’s decisions.
“Academic reform is long overdue in athletics,” Watson said. “The focus ought to be graduation and obtaining a quality education. Exploitation of an individual for their athletic ability, without regard to their preparation to succeed in the classroom, ought to be punished.”
02-17-2005
