Reflections, 2016-19: A Sequel to an Odyssey of Reform Initiatives, 1986-2015.
Reflections, 2016-19: A Sequel to an Odyssey of Reform Initiatives, 1986-2015. Dr. Frank Splitt, Longtime Drake Group Member and Recipient of the Robert Maynard Hutchins Award, has posted a sequel to his 1986-2015 Odyssey of Reform Initiatives. A prolific and nationally respected voice advocating for intercollegiate athletics reform, this new collection of writings continues to […]
College Athlete Health and Protection from Physical and Psychological Harm
The Drake Group has released a position statement today that proposes an educational alternative to “athlete employees.” Drake Group President Gerald Gurney, stated, “Intercollegiate athletics is at a crossroads on the issue of paying college athletes. Should collegiate athletics be a mini-version of the NFL and NBA? See Drake’s Position Statement for a viable alternative.
Why the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) and the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) should be Abandoned and Replaced with More Effective Academic Metrics
The Drake Group released a position statement that is highly critical of the NCAA’s Division I Academic Metrics. Drake Group President Gerald Gurney argues that “Academic integrity in intercollegiate athletics requires a system of checks and balances, transparent academic metrics and safeguards that ensure that learning occurs, not just that athletic eligibility is maintained.”
Drake Group Urges NCAA Division I Presidents to Support the Establishment of a Presidential Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
Listing eleven current conditions that threaten the financial stability of college athletics programs and the academic integrity of higher education institutions, The Drake Group issued a request to NCAA Division I college and university presidents and chancellors to support H.R. 2731 (a bi-partisan bill currently before Congress) that would mandate the appointment of a Presidential […]
If I was an FBS athletic director, my top worries in 2017 would be…
Check out a blog by a member of The Drake Group, listing the top issues that NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors should be worrying about. Read more.
Congress Granting a Conditional Limited Antitrust Exemption to the NCAA and Its Member Institutions
Absent an antitrust exemption, which only the Congress can provide, the NCAA will continue to be the target of antitrust lawsuits whenever it tries to implement educationally defensible reforms that have commercial consequences.
Ridpath Provides Insider’s View of NCAA
B. David Ridpath, President Elect of the Drake Group, first contacted the Drake Group in 2004 during his ongoing battle with Marshall University over NCAA violations in the athletic department. Ridpath, in his new book titled Tainted Glory, documents his experiences as an assistant compliance director at Marshall. Former New York Times columnist, Robert Lipsyte […]
Don’t Reform NCAA – Replace It
Three weeks after a trial over the NCAA’s use of college athletes’ likenesses ended this summer, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller’s Commerce Committee began hearings on the welfare of athletes and included testimony from NCAA President Mark Emmert. Amid the senators’ skepticism and the professed need for congressional oversight, Emmert once again promised more change to […]
Establishment of a Presidential Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Reform
In March of 2015, The Drake Group has released a position statement in support of a bipartisan-sponsored bill being considered by the 114th Congress (H.R. 275) that would establish a Presidential Commission “to identify and examine issues of national concern related to the conduct of intercollegiate athletics and to make recommendations for the resolution of […]
After Penn State Scandal, Congress Should Make NCAA put Students, Education First
In light of the scandal at Penn State, which reveals how big-time college sports often overwhelm the core values of higher education, Congress should closely examine whether the NCAA is running a not-for-profit enterprise or a commercial entertainment empire. Follow this link to read the Christian Science Monitor article