The NCAA and Ineligible Student Athletes

I wish I understood more.  I wish I understood the process more thoroughly.  I wish I had more details because right now I am just a tad bit angry and frustrated.  I wish I could understand just how the NCAA Clearinghouse works.  But I don’t. 

I do know that all student athletes attending NCAA Division I and II schools must be deemed eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.  I know players must take so many core courses in high school and maintain a certain GPA in these courses.  I know student athletes must score a certain number on their SATs or ACTs. And, of course, student athletes must graduate from high school.  This is about the extent of my knowledge.

I don’t what core courses are required.  I don’t know what GPA is consider high enough and I don’t know what the SAT and ACT scores need to be.  I am sure, though, that these numbers are all set to a reasonable standard for student athletes.  If I only wish I knew more.

My frustration stems of course, from the fact that three of the University of Kansas’ freshmen basketball recruits were ruled ineligible to participate in the 2011-2012 season.  They were allowed to enroll and take classes but are partial qualifiers.  I have no idea what that means.  How does a student athlete partially qualify for college?  Why are they not allowed to practice, but not play, until the second semester?  Why are some not allowed to practice of play for a year?

How come it takes so long to review the records of college basketball recruits?  There are only 120 Division I schools for football but each school brings in twenty plus recruits a year.  There are three times as many basketball schools but most programs usually don’t bring in more than 3-6 recruits.  You seldom hear of football players waiting around for the Clearinghouse.  They seem to all be cleared by the time school starts in August yet it seems to take longer for the hoopsters.  I have read it is because football players don’t play at numerous high schools like top basketball players do.  For all I know, this may be true.  It seems like a shallow excuse for the NCAA though. 

I do know that many top basketball prospects do play for multiple high schools over their career.  It is my opinion that this is not ideal anyway.  Many of these players transfer to prep or private schools during their careers.  It would seem to me that these institutions should be better academically and should be preparing these student athletes for college.  Why else do they exist?  I don’t understand how players can attend these types of high schools and can’t qualify, or worse yet, partially qualify, for college eligibility.  And why does it take so long for the Clearinghouse to make their decisions.

It is my opinion that a legislative body is necessary for college sports. There needs to be a checks and balances system in place to keep colleges from cheating.  I just am not sure how effective the NCAA is. They don’t seem to be consistent at all.  It appears to me that powerful BCS football programs are not held to the same standards when it comes to punishment as programs as other schools or sports.  The BCS football pantheon has players who take money from boosters, sell swag for profit, and have family members selling the children to the highest bidders.  The punishments for these programs seem weak.  Players are allowed to continue their careers and are allowed to participate in bowl games.  A local college basketball player last season was suspended for 4 games for getting a couple hundred dollars worth of clothes from a department store.  I’m not saying that is not appropriate but I think sometimes football players and programs aren’t punished as stiffly as they should be. 

I understand the NCAA has to maintain standards for student athletes.  It seems to me that the penalty for these so called partial qualifiers is a bit stiff.  The rules don’t seem to consider the interests of the student athlete.  Why not allow the student athletes to play the second semester if they make the grades in summer school and their fall classes?  Why not try to work with the schools and kids more often?  Help them get to a place where the can be better students and participate in their sports without missing a whole year.  I just think there should be a better way.

I understand that the public does not get to see the details of each situation or why the NCAA rules the way it does.  There is a degree of privacy that is the right of every student athlete.  I just wish the process was better explained and better understood.  I just wish there were better options for the student athletes who have some issues academically to be able to improve their standing quicker.  I definitely don’t have many answers.  There are a lot a people out there smarter than me who should be able to figure out a better way.

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