Blog 21: Chapter 21: The New 3 R’s

During the 1990’s as undergraduate enrollment and outside funding decreased, college and universities turned to the New 3’R’s. What happened to the Old 3 R’s of education? (reading, ’riting and rithmetic). The New 3 R’s: Recruitment of students, Retention of current students and Renewal of alumni support. “In the twenty-first century, a growing number of schools will probably substitute the New 3 R’s and sports entertainment for general undergraduate education” (Sperber 249). One in every four freshman does not return for sophomore year. Retention rates at smaller colleges and private schools are a little higher because students don’t feel so lost. The only way to get students to come back for their second year is to get them to enjoy their required courses they take freshman year. This was made possible by rewarding professors, limiting class size, offering very few lecture classes and to build a relationship between student and teacher. They key factor is to build a community amongst its students. This will keep freshman on campus and they will become so attached and loyal to the campus community; they will come back. Once they graduate they will be the contributors to the alumni. Please think back to how upset professors were when they had to teach a required course that was so far off from their research. If the students are happy, they will return to campus, increasing the revenue for the universities. The more revenue support from the alumni, the more recruiting the university will be able to do to bring in more students. The bottom line for the New 3 R’s is retention, retention and retention. Retention of new students must be number one on the priority list.

Blog 20: Chapter 20: Who loves the Jocks?

Who loves the jocks? Easy answer, the NCAA loves the jocks. Why wouldn’t the NCAA love the jocks? Another easy answer, the good old boys are bringing in massive revenue to the school and catching the eye of prospective candidates to the university. The former coach and athletic director of Notre Dame stated that junior college athletes have never been admitted to ND because they don’t believe they are real students and never could be. However, junior college students are often allowed into college without even taking SAT/ACT. Although, Notre Dame, recognized for its high standard of academic achievement, does not admit these junior athletes, many universities do, hoping to turn their sports program around. Even though the NCAA has a love affair with the jocks, undergraduate students have mixed emotions. At the University of Iowa, students complained about all the special privileges that the jocks get but in the same breath say how exciting it is to see the “star athlete” in the student union. The statement, “all college athletes should meet the same university requirements as regular students” was only strongly agreed upon by 29% of the respondents. Only 31% agreed, in which the majority of the agrees came from the DIII respondents and women at DI schools. Almost all of the negatives were from Division I males. A Georgetown U student had a typical explanation for special admits of athletes. He explained that he worked his ass off during high school to get into Georgetown. He was fully aware of the fact the most of the athletes at GU earned half the SAT score that he did but they still got in. He noted that the system stunk; but that these players had talent. He also noted that his team would be terrible if only regular GU students played and was in favor of Georgetown being a winning team.

Blog 19: Chapter 19: College Sports MEGANIC. Versus Undergraduate Education

Here we go again, screw the undergraduate! An ad was published in a popular mid-western fast food chain. It deals with students asking the fast-food chain owner several questions: Why the University president’s house is so big? The fast food owner, replies because he represents everything that is important to our school as an institution of higher learning. He also said that the University president and the house he lives in must represent the same thing. The next question in the ad states: Why is the coach’s house bigger? The owner had no answer. Other answers to this question are that the school places more emphasis on its athletic programs than its undergraduate education programs. Students at “BIG-TIME” universities agree strongly that their school places more emphasis on its athletic programs than its undergrad education programs and it is better that way. “A freshman female at Kansas State noted, “They treat the jocks a whole lot better than they do the regular students here and it shows their priorities” (Sperber 232). On the flip side many Division III students feel differently. They feel that the academics come first and the undergrads put them first. “It is clear the academics come first here. If you don’t want it that way, this isn’t the school for you” (Sperber 232). So cut to the chase, the bottom line is Division I athletic programs come first for both the administration and the students.

Blog 18: Chapter 18: College-Sports MEGANIC.

Ten years ago, one could name college sports entertainment, College Sports, Inc. Due to the explosion in revenue, the new name is College Sports Meganic. “One inescapable conclusion appears: College Sports Meganic. Is the most dysfunctional business in America” (Sperber 221). It would be nice to be making around $454 million per year. The new NCAA deal with CBS-TV is making just that; six billion dollars over 11 years. Picture this scenario, coaches strutting around in expensive custom made suits making a whopping $500,000 salary and sneaker deals for $250,000. Everyone who surrounds the athlete is getting rich (athletic directors, college professors, administrations, referees, coaches) while they don’t make a penny., However, most college athletes do receive athletic scholarships topping out at $30,000. How does this make the college athlete feel? Do they feel used? Are they being treated fairly? After all they are bringing in the big money and others are reeking in the gold, and enjoying added perks.

Blog 17: Chapter 17: Rally Round the Team-As Long As It Wins and Covers the Spread

How serious is college betting amongst the students? For most college undergraduates a winning team is high up on their priority list, but for many student fans the win is not just enough for them. They want the team to help them win their bets as well. Gambling has become another added addiction among college students, primarily in college sports. Not only are students known to party whether their team looses or wins, but the deciding factor of whether the stands will be packed or not is weighed heavily on the teams winning or losing program. Let’s face it who wants to support a losing team, a team that has not won a game all year. “One expert believes that betting, mainly on intercollegiate athletic events, “is probably a worse problem… (on college campus today) than alcohol or drug abuse” (Sperber 206). The fans of losing teams feel humiliated after a non-winning season. They often take it personally that their team did not win or performed poorly.” But in the end, win or lose, the party continues. The bottom line is – PARTY, PARTY!!!

Blog 16: Chapter 16: Party Round the Team

Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former president of the University of Wisconsin found a link between beer and circus. She fought to ban alcohol advertising at any collegiate event and the bringing of alcohol to events. This created controversy between other university presidents. Was Donna Shalala a hypocrite? After all, during her tenure as president, UW’s athletic department accepted beer ads and the campus police turned a blind eye to tailgating and drinking in the stadium. She gave her speech to college professors, athletic directors, administration and many NCCA officials. “To say that her proposals “fell upon deaf ears” is to portray the reaction at the NCAA convention as positive” (Sperber 182-3). They wanted nothing to do with her speech; she barely had time to finish. Although the sale of beer has been banned in many schools, smuggling alcohol into stadiums has increased. Many schools have moved their stadiums off campus so they can partake in the sale of beer. Universities can put up all the signs they want banning alcohol but it won’t stop the drinking. Bobby Dodd Stadium (Georgia Tech) signs clearly state no alcohol. “When the band strikes up a favorite tune in the second half of Tech’s homecoming football game…they [the students] loudly join the chorus, “When you say Budweiser, you’ve said it all” (Sperber 191). This is only one example of “smuggling in the goods” but the same type of behavior was displayed nationwide throughout the university circuit. Kids brought in smuggled alcohol in flask; they put alcohol into their coke cans and did whatever they had to do, because drinking was going to take place at collegiate sporting events no matter what. In the 2000 Princeton Review they added an editorial comment based on the large amount of essays submitted by angry students. “CAMPUS WIDE DRINKING PROHIBITIONS DON”T WORK” (Sperber 192).

Blog 15: Chapter 15: Drinking off-Campus and Far off-Campus (Spring Break)

In the 1990’s, many universities were forced by school authorities and lawyers to push the party scene off-campus. This was their attempt to make the campus dry; no alcohol allowed on campus. I know that when I was looking at colleges, student tour guides would say that the campus was a “dry campus” only to see empty thirty packs thrown on the ground and dorm hallways reeking of stale beer and booze. So does the saying, “out of sight out of mind” hold true. Look around any college campus and you will find liquor stores and bars; both big money making businesses. It is all about location, location, location. Bars are always promoting theme nights, discount drinking nights and college id nights. The ironic thing about off-campus drinking is most college town bars and liquor stores rarely ask for an ID. They know college students are using fake ID but they don’t care. Florida State, an all time party school, begins partying on Monday night and ends the following Sunday. One female student said, “This school is a joke, it’s unbelievable easy” (Sperber 169). She wondered if her degree would be worth anything.
Take a trip Spring Break around 1995 looking pretty good, corporate sponsors spent a record breaking twenty million dollars in advertisement. Later, other businesses joined in on the “band wagon” for spring break. Sponsors included fast food chains, credit card companies and of course MTV televising the wild antics of college students. Millions of dollars are spent on advertisement and promotions for spring break. The “Sunshine State “ back in 95 was a hot spot for spring break and still is in the year 2010.