The Chronicle of Higher Education recently posted an article examining the discrepancy between the price of admission for men's and women's college basketball games, citing "Ticket Office Sexism: The Gender Gap in Pricing for NCAA Division I Basketball"--the same report Jack Copeland referenced in his April post on this blog.

According to the report published by the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College, among the top 25 men's and women's teams, colleges charged nearly three times as much, on average, for single-game seats for men's games. Additionally, the average highest-priced season ticket package came in at $233 for women as opposed to $2,500 for men.

In the report authors Laura Pappano and Allison J. Tracy claim athletic departments are engaging in "institutional discrimination that is camouflaged as sensible economic practice" by charging significantly less for women's competition.

The threat this practice poses to the pursuit of gender equity is an obvious concern, but it is also important to consider what else may be at risk by altering ticket prices.

If elevating female ticket prices drives away fans, especially in a sensitive economic climate, would the financial equity be worth risking the competition environment for female student-athletes?

At most institutions men's basketball is one of very few revenue-producing sports. Contrary to popular misconceptions, this revenue is used to fund programs and initiatives throughout the athletic department--not simply the men's basketball team. In this sense, the entire athletics program benefits by achieving the maximum amount of revenue possible from men's tickets sales. Is standardizing admission worth lowering ticket prices and risking losing necessary athletics revenue?

By driving prices down, more people are able to attend female athletic events and hopefully will become interested and emotionally invested in the sport. Once that investment exists, the initiative to standardize ticket prices against gender lines can more accurately and seriously be evaluated.

According to the New York Times, 10 percent of the NBA--45 current players--took classes during this past off-season. Debbie Rothstein, director for career development for the NBA union, told the Times that number is much higher than it has been in the past, although the union has just begun officially tracking the data this year.

How does this affect current student-athletes? Teams can recoup a point lost when a student-athlete departs early, so if an NBA athlete returns to the institution he left and completes his undergraduate degree, the school's Academic Performance Rate (APR) could improve. An institution's APR can affect a program's scholarships and ability to compete in the post-season and is something that is closely monitored by the university's administration and the NCAA.

While basketball has become a profession for some elite athletes, many of them realize the value of an education and the need for an alternate career due to the ephemeral nature of a career as a professional athlete.

The article cites a Sports Illustrated report done in March that found, "an estimated 60 percent of N.B.A. players are broke within five years of retiring, and 78 percent of N.F.L. players are bankrupt or under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce within two years."

Because each professional sport has different age requirements--you must be 18 to compete in Major League Baseball, 19 in the NBA and be three years removed from high school to compete in the NFL--the educational backgrounds of participants vary. For example, half of the NFL's players have college degrees whereas about 21 percent of NBA players have an undergraduate degree. This is in part a result of the NFL's three-year requirement in comparison to the NBA's single year rule.

Interestingly enough, MLB players--many of whom are drafted directly out of high school--are provided support from the Professional Baseball Scholarship Plan and between 1962 and 1999, 69.2 percent of its players returned to school.

The International Olympic Committee's long-awaited 2016 site announcement came today and Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo for host responsibilities.

With all the buzz leading up to this selection, I have to admit I was a little disappointed when Chicago wasn't chosen. I had already begun to think of ways I could get involved--seeing as how my competing days are behind me--and saw opportunity for student-athletes to volunteer and experience the Olympics here in our backyard.

Alas, it wasn't in the cards for Chicago, but student-athlete participation remains part of the equation.

According to rivals.com, the Top 10 Olympic institutions alone accounted for 317 of the approximately 10,500 athletes that competed in Beijing's 2008 summer's Olympic Games.

Stanford, who produced the highest number of Olympians, had 46 student-athletes compete, placing them ahead of USC and UC Berkley who tied for second with 41.

While these student-athletes attend American universities, they do not necessarily compete on behalf of the United States at the Olympics. Stanford's swim team, for instance, had eight student-athletes compete and represent five different countries. The University of Florida, who was represented by 34 student-athletes, had 19 swimmers competing for 13 countries.

Student-athletes don't just compete on the international stage, they are successful. USC has won a gold medal in every Olympics since 1912 and won 21 medals in Beijing. According to the LA Times, if USC were a nation, its 21 medals would rank 13th in the world (or 17th, adjusted for same-team medals) and tied for eighth in gold. That's well ahead of running powerhouses such as Kenya (14 overall) and Jamaica (11). India, with more than 1 billion citizens, won three medals. South Africa, with 142 athletes, took home only one.

Exceptional student-athletes will continue to compete at the highest level in 2012, 2016 and for years to come, even if it means they have to travel a bit further to do it.

The University of Utah is mourning the loss of members of its extended athletics family as two of its football student-athletes lost a combined eleven relatives as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Somoa and American Samoa earlier this week.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, sophomore defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, a Utah native, lost eight family members in the natural disaster. Junior offensive lineman Neli A'asa, born in Pago Pago, lost three.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham told the Tribune, "It's a tragic situation and I don't know all the details, but I know a lot of our guys on this football team were affected by it. The phones have not been functioning. There has been some communication by internet and e-mail, but it's not a good situation."

In the face of this terrible tragedy we are reminded of the vulnerability of student-athletes and their lives off the playing field.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

The University of Utah is mourning the loss of members of its extended athletics family as two of its football student-athletes lost a combined eleven relatives as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Somoa and American Samoa earlier this week.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, sophomore defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, a Utah native, lost eight family members in the natural disaster. Junior offensive lineman Neli A'asa, born in Pago Pago, lost three.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham told the Tribune, "It's a tragic situation and I don't know all the details, but I know a lot of our guys on this football team were affected by it. The phones have not been functioning. There has been some communication by internet and e-mail, but it's not a good situation."

In the face of this terrible tragedy we are reminded of the vulnerability of student-athletes and their lives off the playing field.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

If you live in Norman, Oklahoma it ranks at the top.

According to Oklahoman reporter Jane Glenn Cannon, "Anyone who has lived in Norman for any length of time knows you don't get married on a day the University of Oklahoma football team has a game. At least, not if you want anyone to come to your wedding."

She's not joking.

The local county clerks office had 34 couple apply for marriage licenses last week, about double the number from the previous week (when Oklahoma squared off against Tulsa).

In other football news:

Football coach tweets, asks for helmets back

Houston receivers James Cleveland and A.J. Dugat and guard Jordan Shoemaker lost their helmets in the celebration after beating Texas Tech. Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin called on his Twitter followers to help find and return the helmets.

His tweet: "Saturday night was fun, but it will be hard for 3 of our guys to play this week without their helmets. Please return, NO QUESTIONS ASKED."

No word if the helmets have been returned

ABC Sports' story on illegal steroids sold through the internet, often to teenagers, highlights the ever-present dangers of illegal and unregulated supplements for student-athletes.

The article features Jareem Gunter, 26, who purchased a supplement online in order to gain an edge as a baseball student-athlete. The experiment landed him in the hospital with extensive liver damage and nearly resulted in his death.

The NCAA has consistently maintained a strict policy against muscle-building supplements. The NCAA Drug-Testing Program was created to protect the health and safety of student-athletes and to ensure that no one participant might have an artificially induced advantage or be pressured to use chemical substances.

On the NCAA's health and safety Web site details of the drug testing policy as well as permissible and impermissible nutritional supplements are available. Printable banned-substance educational posters are also available for use by the membership.

For more information on the NCAA's Drug Policy, check out this informative video.

Another twitter mishap among student-athletes has led to the banning of the social networking Web site for football players at Texas Tech.

After offensive lineman Brandon Carter was suspended indefinitely for violating team policy, the former captain posted the news to his twitter before the school announced it: "I am not a captain anymore and will not be playing this week. Good luck red raiders ill still be cheering on my family from the stands!!:)"

Later, linebacker Marion Williams tweeted "Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on meeting."

Head coach Mike Leach told the media during the Big 12 coaches teleconference that "anyone who wants to play for us doesn't have a Twitter page." Carter's comments and William's account have since vanished.

Leach's statement may not be in the form a written document outlying his social networking policy, I think his message is loud and clear and I can't say I fault him for taking a stand. My only wish is that student-athletes would learn from the mistakes of others--both collegiate and professional athletes--rather than repeating what we have already seen happen.

The power of social networks can no longer be taken lightly. We have seen its backlash across the board, from professional and collegiate student-athletes alike.

While I am a big supporter of social media Web sites, I am tired of writing about athletes making headlines for using t0hem as a soap box. I support the opportunity for everyone to express his or her opinions openly, but I also think that by agreeing to be part of a team you accept a different set of rules and responsibilities than the average person.

Creating rules and banning athletes from using social networking is extreme and should be used as a last resort, but I think that more and more those regulations are becoming necessary.

Do you follow your favorite athletes on twitter? Do you think they are successful in its use?

Do you think that coaches and administrators need to monitor what their student-athletes are posting?

Do you think it's worthwhile for student-athletes to have twitter accounts at all?

Yesterday NCAA Senior Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer Jim Isch was named interim president of the Association, following the death of President Myles Brand. Isch will assume the role until a permanent successor is named.

As a member-run institution, it is the responsibility of the NCAA membership to conduct the search for a new president. That responsibility is discharged by the NCAA Executive Committee, chaired by Michael Adams, president of the University of Georgia. The Executive Committee is the highest governance body in the NCAA and is comprised of institutional chief executive officers that oversee Association-wide issues.

NCAA staff members are not involved with the search.

Although there is no official timetable for hiring a new president, it took 351 days from the retirement announcement of Cedric W. Dempsey to the appointment of President Brand.

In making the interim announcement, Adams was clear that no further information on the search for the new president would be made public until after the executive committee meets on October 29. "This will be a broad, open, national search for anyone who wishes to apply," he said. "I don't want to dwell on that today until I've had a chance to meet with the full Executive Committee. Our goal today is singular, and that is to introduce the interim president."

In his first press conference following the announcement, Isch pledged to continue the direction defined by Brand. "In the coming months I intend to move that agenda," he said. "To put that in simple terms, it will continue to focus on academic reform, fiscal responsibility, continued integration of athletics and academics and a continued emphasis on student-athlete well-being."

NCAA President Myles Brand's commitment to education, diversity and social responsibility leaves an indelible mark on intercollegiate athletics. During his tenure, Brand worked tirelessly to strengthen the bonds between higher education and athletics, ushering an era of academic reforms that will benefit generations of student-athletes.

Please take a moment to share your reflections on the life and impact of Myles Brand.

Return to NCAA.org.

Former Southwestern Illinois College student-athlete Sarah Panzau has turned tragedy to triumph.

On August 23, 2003, the two-time volleyball All-American got behind the wheel of a car with a blood alcohol level of 0.308, almost four times the legal limit in the state of Illinois, and suffered a near-fatal single-car crash in which she lost her left arm.

Now 27 years old, Panzau travels the country speaking to students of all ages about the dangers of alcohol, specifically drunk driving, and how they can learn from her mistakes.

Schools across the country beginning the 2009-10 academic year are opening their doors to a new class of 17-19 year-olds, most of whom are experiencing life away from home for the first time. Alcohol abuse on college campuses has long posed a danger to students and has created a need drug and alcohol education programs.

According to a survey of 20,000 student-athletes conducted by the NCAA in 2005, 77.2% of male and 76.8% of female student-athletes use alcohol with 61.9% of males and 26.9% of females consuming six or more drinks per sitting.

The NCAA provides its membership resources to assist them in educating student-athletes and creating and maintaining an environment that promotes healthy choices about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. In recognizing that alcohol and drug abuse is a campus-wide issue and is not one isolated to student-athletes, the NCAA created the CHOICES grant program.

Through the CHOICES program, the NCAA provides funding for NCAA member institutions and conferences to integrate athletics into campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol abuse. CHOICES projects must partner athletics with other campus partners in the development and implementation of effective alcohol-education projects on college campuses.

In addition, the NCAA sponsors a Speakers Grant. Any NCAA active member institution or conference is eligible to apply for a $500 grant that partially or fully funds speaker fees for a department of athletics drug-education or wellness program.

Student-athlete wellbeing is of the utmost importance and the emphasis on drug and alcohol education is a continuous effort from the NCAA and its member institutions. The hope is to eliminate tragedies like Panzau's from occurring, but it's encouraging to see a former student-athlete translate her misfortune into a benefit for others.

Clemson's thrilling comeback against Georgia Tech last night had me glued to the TV singing the praises of college football.

The Tigers were trailing 24-0 and rallied back to a 27-24 lead with 11:34 left. Georgia Tech regained the lead and secured the win with 57 seconds left off a 36-yard field goal.

The tremendous swing of momentum and ensuing excitement got me wondering about the most exciting games of years gone by. Scout.com provides the most extensive list that I've found, listing the "100 Greatest College Football Finishes" since 1970.

Their Top 5?:

No. 5 Georgia 26 ... Florida 21, November 8, 1980
No. 4 USC 34 ... Notre Dame 31, October 15, 2005
No. 3 Boston College 47 ... Miami 45, November 23, 1984
No. 2 Boise State 43 ... Oklahoma 42, Fiesta Bowl, January 1, 2007
No. 1 California 25 ... Stanford 20, November 20, 1982

Check out the rest of the list and details on each of their selections.

The list, formulated July 9, 2007 may be a little out of date. Are there any more recent games you can think of that can contend with the Top 5? Any honorable mentions?

Do you disagree with any of their choices?

Ohio State's victory over Navy on Saturday has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the eye black worn by Buckeye quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor, who completed 14 of 21 passes for 174 yards, threw a 38-yard touchdown pass and ran in another, decorated his stick-on eye black with the words "Mika Vick" as a tribute to the NFL quarterback who just recently returned to football after a two year prison sentence for orchestrating a dog fighting ring.

While players have been writing on their eye black for years, this is the first time I can remember the practice causing such commotion from the media and football fans across the country. Much of the public's reaction is due to the violent nature of Vick's crime and Pryor's resulting defense of his tribute: "Not everybody is the perfect person in the world. Everyone does -- kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me. I just feel that people need to give him a chance."

Defenders of Pryor are claiming freedom of speech, but is a football field the place for expression of personal, political or religious beliefs? Does it cloud the purpose of sport and competition when a game becomes a soapbox?

Where do you draw the line between what an athlete can write on themselves for inspiration and what is inappropriate for fans and spectators? Is it more inappropriate because the words are directed toward others? After all, Pryor couldn't see his own eye black.

ESPN created a short video highlighting some of the latest versions of the eye black trend and a bible verse on Tim Tebow's face is extremely visible. Is this different than Pryor's choice?

Is it appropriate for student-athletes to use their visibility on national television as a chance to illustrate their personal beliefs?

Do you think it is a coach's job to monitor what his or her student-athletes are promoting on the field? After all, student-athletes are wearing their team uniforms and representing their universities. Does this practice need to be done away with all together?

There are not enough minority football coaches at major Division I programs and a recent series from the Tennessean attempts to find out why. Of the 120 coaching positions, only nine are held by minorities.

Writer Bryan Mullen uncovers several potential reasons for the disparity, but perhaps the single biggest culprit is the lack of a "feeder system that fails to put minorities in positions to become head coaches."

"To me, that's the biggest problem right now," former Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom told Mullen. Croom was the first coach of color in Southeastern Conference history. "Unless a guy has coordinator experience at the NFL or the collegiate level," he says, "it is extremely difficult for an athletic director to sell it, especially if he's a minority candidate."

But, how is a coach supposed to work through the ranks if he is never given the opportunity? Some, including Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, suggest lingering racial motivations may be at the heart of the problem.

"I can't speak for institutions specifically, but I would have to say that I still believe, yes, (race) still plays a role somewhat," Evans, an African-American, told the Tennessean.
"You're never going to have people stand up and tell you the honest reasons why they didn't hire the minority candidate. What you always hear is 'fit, fit, fit.' Well, what does that fit mean? Some people may take that fit in a negative way and say, oh, does fit have to do with color?"

Earlier this year, NCAA President Myles Brand discussed the issue of minorities in coaching, calling the lack of representation, "the most frustrating issue I've dealt with since joining the NCAA."

Brand says the NCAA can be of assistance, but in the end, the Association does not do the hiring. That responsibility falls to universities.

He points out that minorities are getting interviews, but for some reason, universities aren't hiring. "I don't care how many interviews you have, if you don't hire, it doesn't matter."

How can we solve this problem? What should be done to increase the number of minority coaches in football?

The University of California San Diego is mourning the loss of a "remarkable student and valued member of the UC San Diego community," according to a statement released by the University.

Leon Roach, a 19 year-old sophomore pole vaulter for the Tritons, suffered a fatal injury during a practice drill on a rope swing on Saturday.

Roach's sister, Christyn, told the Associated Press "there were two spotters, and they had mats" at practice, and that the family doesn't blame anyone for the accident. Roach's father and older brother were both pole vaulters and the family reportedly understand that the sport carries inherent risks.

Roach's family has found solace in knowing that Leon, a California native, died while doing something he loved.

"It's not something where you think you might die every time you go up to vault. We don't live our lives scared to do things like that," Roach's sister explained. "This is the normal risk of everyday life. We each have so many days, and the Lord decided that was his time."

According to the L.A. Times, Roach placed fourth in the San Diego Collegiate Track and Field Championship in March, the only freshman within the Top 8.

Roach's tragic death occurred the same day that Contra Costa College freshman Wali Wright suffered a collision during a football game that left his back broken in several places. Wright, who had surgery Monday to insert pins in his spine along with a breathing tube, is expected to survive but will likely be paralyzed.

Wright currently has no feeling in his arms or legs and has swelling and bruising in his spinal cord although it was not severed.

These two unfortunate accidents remind us of the real and eminent dangers of competing in athletics and the need to continue to keep student-athlete well-being at the forefront of discussions.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families of these two young athletes.

College Colors Day is an annual celebration dedicated to promote the traditions and spirit that make the college experience great by encouraging people across America to wear apparel of their favorite college or university throughout the day of Friday, September 4.

At the NCAA National office, employees participated in a 5k Fun Run and showed their support by wearing college colors around the office.

Check out the video of the day:

While the wildfires rage in southern California, local institutions struggle to continue a life of normalcy.

Although UCLA has discussed the possibility of postponing its opening day football game as a result of the fires, after meeting with fire and safety officials they announced the game against San Diego State will be played as scheduled at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, less than 10 miles south of the fires in the Angeles National Forest.

How close are the schools?
Click to explore interactive map

Occidental College, located in northeast Los Angeles, issued a statement on its Web site alerting students of the air quality hazard. John Sweet, Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Athletic trainer, said in an email the school has "canceled several morning and afternoon practice sessions because of the air quality and to some degree the heat this past week." He went on to say, "we have moved indoors with soccer practices and football has changed several of their practices to the evenings."

The athletic department has been monitoring the air quality on-line several times throughout the day through the Air Quality Management District. Additionally, the Tigers use a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Heat Index and empirical data such as ash, wind, odor and visibility to determine if the conditions are safe for competition as the health and safety of the student-athletes is of the utmost importance.

Nearby Cal State L.A. has posted safety information to its Web site, outlining necessary safety precautions and linking to up-to-date fire coverage.

The county of Los Angeles Public health lists the following recommendations to protect yourself from the dangers of bad air quality:

• If you see or smell smoke, or see a lot of particles and ash in the air, avoid unnecessary outdoor activity to limit your exposure to harmful air. This is especially important for those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), the elderly and children.


• If outdoor air is bad, try to keep indoor air as clean as possible by keeping windows and doors closed. Air conditioners that re-circulate air within the home can help filter out harmful particles.


• Avoid using air conditioning units that only draw in air from the outside or that do not have a re-circulating option. Residents should check the filters on their air conditioners and replace them regularly. Indoor air filtration devices with HEPA filters can further reduce the level of particles that circulate indoors.


• If it is too hot during the day to keep the doors or windows closed and you do not have an air conditioning unit that re-circulates indoor air, consider going to an air conditioned public place, such as a library or shopping center, to stay cool and to protect yourself from harmful air.


• Do not use fireplaces (either wood burning or gas), candles, and vacuums. Use damp cloths to clean dusty indoor surfaces. Do not smoke.


• If you have symptoms of lung or heart disease that may be related to smoke exposure, including severe coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness, contact your doctor immediately or go to an urgent care center.


• When smoke is heavy for a prolonged period of time, fine particles can build up indoors even though you may not be able to see them. Wearing a mask may prevent exposures to large particles. However, most masks do not prevent exposure to fine particles and toxic gases, which may be more dangerous to your health.

The dangers of Twitter have surfaced yet again and this time a high-profile men's basketball coach is bowing out of the social networking Web site's community as a result.

George Mason's Jim Larranaga tweeted what he told the Mike Wise Show was a "tongue-in-cheek," "sarcastic comment" mocking a recent piece of NCAA legislation regarding the admittance for institutions to provide, "fruit, nuts and bagels" to student-athletes after practice or workouts. Larranga's comment, which was directed toward a rule that he admits is "a very good rule," noted that cream cheese is absent from the approved legislation.

Larranaga told the Mike Wise Show, "I made a comment that has been blown out of proportion and used to fuel some other columns, and I didn't feel good about that."

And as a result? "'Well, that kind of ends my twittering," he said.

A classic example of a lesson learned the hard way, administrators of tennis' US Open hope to keep their competitors from experiencing the same backlash from irresponsible tweeting.

Scattered around the grounds of USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are posters with the header: "Important. Player Notice. Twitter Warning."

According Nbcsports.com, the notices address how Twitter may impact the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program Rules, namely "information about the likely participation or likely performance of a player in an event or concerning the weather, court conditions, status, outcome or any other aspect of an event which is known by a Covered Person and is not information in the public domain."

The warning applies to players, coaches, agents, family members and tournament staff.

Do you think Twitter warrants this kind of action at high-profile competitions?

Do you think it's fair to limit and/or monitor what athletes are tweeting while off the field of competition?

Can athletic departments limit the tweets of their student-athletes? Can institutions limit the tweets of their students?

USA Today took on a hefty challenge by attempting to identify the "golden era" for 120 top tier Bowl Subdivision college football programs, but in the end, I think they did a pretty good job.

Some, of course, are debatable. Are there any you disagree with?

Check and see when your team reigned supreme.

The weekend is here. Enjoy it.

USA Today highlighted college football teams across the country that have moved some of their conference home games to professional facilities and stadiums.

Indiana University and Penn State will square off next season at FedExField, home of the Washington Redskins, in Landover Maryland, as will Virginia Tech and Boise State. Oklahoma will face Texas and Brigham Young in the newly completed stadium of the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas will play in the Kansas City Chief's Arrowhead Stadium against Missouri and Iowa State.

While that may sound like a lot of games, Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione assured USA Today, "I just don't see it as something a program would do on a consistent basis."

I'd have to side with Castiglione on this one. While it is exciting to see your favorite team play in a larger venue, I think there is something to be said about the atmosphere on a college campus. A campus is a unique place where student-athletes pursue an education, interact with their peers and compete in the sport they love. The energy surrounding the game is heightened by smaller arenas and the fact that the team on the field is representing the entire community surrounding it--more intimately than a professional team represents a city.

Additionally, requiring fans, especially college-aged students with limited funds, to increasingly travel could alienate the team's fan base.

It was recently announced that Boston University and Boston College hockey will play at Fenway Park in Boston. Basketball programs have played tournaments in professional facilities for years. Is this just football mimicking the actions of other sports?

But for institutions, especially in the current economic climate, the opportunity provides an avenue to promote itself in range of markets while making far more revenue than if the competition had been held at home. According to the article Indiana will receive $3 million for the game in Maryland.

Would you be excited to see your team play in a professional stadium?

How far would you travel to see it?

The flag over Harvard's Stadium flies at half-staff today and a lone football jersey with the number 88 hangs in the Crimson locker room, paying tribute to the famous senator whose competitive spirit and tenacity earned him the nickname "Lion." Ted Kennedy was the fourth Kennedy brother to play football at the university.

According to the Harvard Web site, "Kennedy was listed at 6 foot 2 and 200 pounds as a senior wide receiver.... He caught Harvard's only touchdown to cap a 92-yard drive in a steady snow during a 21-7 loss against Yale in 'The Game' in 1955 in front of 56,000 fans at the Yale Bowl. He also caught a TD pass against Columbia in a 21-7 win that season. For the season, he caught six passes for 80 yards (13.3 yards per catch), ranking second on the team in receptions."

Kennedy's athleticism was also shared by his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics. Shriver's love of athletics was forged early in life while playing sports with her brothers. In 2000 the NCAA honored Shriver with the Theodore Roosevelt Award in recognition for her lifetime commitment to service and athletics.

Before today's practice, Harvard's head coach football coach Tim Murphy gathered his team for some words on Kennedy and a moment of silence.

Schools reopening their doors for the 2009-10 academic year will be increasingly cautious in the wake of this year's swine flu outbreak, especially after seeing its affect on preseason football camps across the country.

Tulane football had 22 student-athletes sidelined during a scrimmage this weekend due to flu like symptoms. Two weeks ago, Duke had almost half its team reporting symptoms. It's hard to wage a guess at which team may be next, but according to Inside Higher Ed, Anderson University, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Kansas and University of Tennessee at Knoxville have all recently reported symptoms among its student body and the tight quarters of college campuses allows for germs to spread quickly.

So what can be done? According to the experts, The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, steps to protect students and student-athletes will need to be much more deliberate and focused including increased cleaning of shared surfaces such as door knobs and keyboards and isolation of infected persons.

More forceful safety precautions include increasing the distance between students in classrooms or suspending classes, but most rely on the condition that the flu worsens, infecting a larger number and wider range of individuals on campuses.

Do you think schools should wait for the flu to become a widespread campus problem before taking a more aggressive approach? Is this issue being taken seriously enough on college campuses?

Is suspending classes or events an unnecessary disruption to the lives of students and student-athletes academically and socially?

Visit the Center for Disease Control Web site for the full report on precautionary steps for institutions of higher education.

A U.S. appeals court ruled that Delaware's plan to allow sports betting by September 1 violates federal law, saying betting would foster rigging of games.

The NCAA and several major sports leagues sought an injunction on the grounds that betting violates the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which banned single-game sports betting in most states.

"They clearly have ruled that what the state plans is illegal," Kenneth Nachbar, an attorney for the leagues told Reuters. "The court may well issue a permanent injunction.

"The closer you get to single-game betting, the more you call into question the integrity of what happens on the field or on the court," he told the court.

Delaware had sought to legalize sports wagering to help offset an $800 million state deficit.

The NCAA opposes all forms of sports wagering.

Read our previous posts on the Delaware case:
Delaware sports wagering update - Aug 17, 2009

NFL moves to stop sports wagering in Delaware - Jul 15, 2009

New Jersey governor to file brief in favor of sports wagering - Jun 24, 2009

Delaware sports gambling ruled constitutional - May 29, 2009

Why I oppose sports wagering - May 13, 2009

Delaware betting bill moves to Senate - May 12, 2009

Delaware legislature votes down sports betting bill - May 06, 2009

Delaware close to legalizing sports wagering - Feb 03, 2009

Last week in the New York Times several Major League players said they will not wear a new helmet that has been proven more effective at protecting the batter from the potentially devastating impact of a rogue fastball.

"I could care less what they say, I'm not wearing it," Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur told the paper. "There's got to be a way to have a more protective helmet without all that padding. It's brutal. We're going to look like a bunch of clowns out there."

The reaction of Francoeur and others got me thinking about the odd culture of machismo in sports that can put athletes at risk.

"Rub some dirt in it."

"Shake it off."

"Suck it up."

These phrases are so often uttered on the fields and courts that they've become part of sport's vernacular.

Maybe it's part of the competitive nature of sports. Does it show weakness to your competitor when your star player sits the bench because of a hard hit? Possibly.

Should that matter when an athlete's well-being is at stake? Absolutely not.

Of course, athletes themselves are fierce competitors and they may hide injuries or underscore their significance simply for the chance to compete. That was one of the concerns raised in June when the British Journal of Sports Medicine published their recommendation that athletes 18 years or younger should not be permitted to continue play if they complain of concussion-like symptoms.

The findings prompted criticism by Dr. Bob Sallis, a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and longtime sideline doctor in Southern California. "More kids will be hurt seriously because of this, either by players not admitting they might have gotten a concussion or coaches encouraging them not to be up front about their symptoms, whether subtly or overtly," he told the New York Times.

Sports equipment is constantly evolving. What once seems ridiculous and cumbersome is now common place.

Think about hockey. Can you imagine a goalie crouched in front of the net without a facemask? That change was met with stiff resistance, but now it's not only mandated, it's accepted as common sense.

There will always be traditionalists that resist change, but eventually safety wins out over macho attitudes. The problem is, however, that could take a while.

Think that radio is an archaic way to enjoy a sporting event? It's almost like watching a game in black and white or settling for a non-HD TV?

Think again.

Live Sports Radio, an earpiece that allows fans who attend sporting events to listen to live radio broadcasts while watching the game and interacting with other attendees, may bring radio back to the entertainment forefront.

Nick Opperman, an England native and avid rugby fan, told the Wall Street Journal he first launched the device at the U.S. Tennis Open in 2006 with an American Express sponsorship. After a test run at the University of Michigan, football programs throughout the Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10 and Southeastern conferences are making the device available to their fans.

The earpieces, customized with each school's logo and colors, will be sold in stadium parking lots and at concession stands for $20 apiece or $30 for a pair.

The broadcasts provide fans with anecdotal information that is available to the viewers at home but is lost to event spectators. Sent over a closed circuit, the feeds will eliminate any delay between the action and the announcer's calls and are meant to enhance the game experience for the fans.

The Wall Street Journal also mentions KangarooTV, a mobile handheld TV that streams live TV feeds directly to the device, as a new addition to the viewing experience of the fan. Do you think these new technologies are positive additions to sporting events?

As a fan, would you like to have these at the next sporting event you attend?

How would you feel if the person in the seat next to you used these devices? Would it positively or negatively impact your experience as a fan?

The International Olympic Committee recently rejected softball and baseball from the 2016 Olympics, accepted female boxing into the 2012 summer games in London and has advanced golf and rugby onto the next phase of the approval process for 2016. The committee's decisions have left me wondering what each proposed sport brings to the table and what may have caused the IOC to rule as it did.

For me, female boxing was the selection that perplexed me the most. While boxing has tremendous international appeal and requires minimal financial backing, it didn't seem to offer the same participation opportunities as a 15-20 woman softball roster would. Boxing, however, was the only event in the 2008 summer games without female representation and its acceptance into the field means greater equality in terms of raw numbers.

United States softball is dominant in the international field, despite the team's loss to Japan in the 2008 finals. Before 2008, the US had not lost in nearly eight years.

Does one team's dominance preclude inclusion? That doesn't seem to matter in men's hockey, for example. Since Hockey became an official Olympic sport in 1920, gold medals have only been won by seven teams: Canada (7), the Soviet Union (7), the United State (2), Sweden (2), Great Britain (1), the Czech Republic (1) and the Unified Team (1), which was comprised of former Soviet states.

While I am a former Division I softball student-athlete and I think the sport provides excellent opportunities to young females, it may simply lack the international clout needed to compete at the Olympics.

As for golf, men and women would each field 60 athletes for a 72-hole stroke-play competition. Golf is already an internationally-recognized sport and could bring star power (i.e Tiger Woods) to the Olympics. The worry here is that developing countries will be less able to fund and support a golf program because of the financial demands of equipment and course upkeep.

Out of the proposed sports, I think rugby seems far and away the best choice. Large rosters would provide significant participation rates for athletes and it is a game that possesses popularity throughout the world. While it may not be as mainstream as softball or golf in the United States, it is important we realize its presence abroad. Also, rugby is a fast-paced and exciting game for spectators.

If, for the sake of argument, rugby is approved but golf is not, that would mean the only two additions to female games are rugby and boxing--two very violent and aggressive sports. Is that sending a message to young females who may not be interested in competing in contact sports that less aggressive sports are inferior?

Could shock value be behind the approval of these full-contact sports? Is there a draw for the average spectator to see females competing in such a violent environment?

As a spectator, would you be interested in watching female boxing and rugby? Or would the brutal nature deter you from purchasing a ticket?

UPDATE: After this story was published, the SEC issued a revised social media policy, allowing fans and others to share information on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. How'd they release the new information? They tweeted it, of course.

The decision to amend the policy was in direct response to criticisms from online communities. "Ninety-five percent of the feedback we got was online," Charles Bloom, an SEC spokesman, told the Charlotte Observer.

The SEC's new media policy, which would prohibit ticketed fans from producing any video, photos, Tweets or other content during games, has garnered a lot of criticism. As a result, the conference has backed down on some of its provisions for credentialed members of the media and is reviewing its fan policy.

On its face, the original policy seems to be a bit of an overreaction to a phenomenon that has virtually no chance of siphoning eyeballs from the all-important viewership rights held by ESPN, CBS and the conference's own SEC Digital Network. Who really wants to watch my shaky, pixilated Blackberry video when the HD version is so pristine I can see Nick Saban's nose hairs?

But what if the conference is actually tech-savvy, rather than a tech-phobic? As St. Petersburg Times staff writer Michael Kruse points out, the SEC is likely positioning itself for the onslaught of new mobile devices that will produce better quality video and may allow fans to stream live to the Web.

Kruse makes some good points, but I'm still a bit skeptical. Even if fans stream an entire game, the experience is likely to be much less satisfying to the viewer than television and SEC online coverage. Both productions will have multiple cameras and much better access. (There won't be a shirtless guy painted LSU yellow standing in front of the sanctioned camera's shot, for example.)

The Team Speed Kills blog also made a good point when they wrote, "Shutting down a live streamer would be easy. If people want to be successful at doing live streams, they'll have to become popular. If enough fans on the Internet can find the streams to make them popular, then so can the conference. Enforcement officials could just watch streams and from the angle figure out where they're coming from in the stadium. Once they do that, they could just send a security guard to the sections with filmers and throw out them out."

And there's another problem. What's to keep fans at home from Tweeting or blogging about a live game? Since you don't register to buy tickets, there's virtually no way to know for sure if a fan is using Twitter inside the stadium or if she's doing it from the comfort of her living room couch.

It's probable that the SEC won't even bother enforcing the policy until it feels threatened by some enterprising blogger with a huge Twitter following. So, is it really worth making the policy now and including every single ticketed fan?

Look, I understand the SEC's point. They want to make sure their rights holders are protected and have exclusivity, but I think it's fairly impossible to ensure that type of lockdown.

In my mind, a better model would be the one CNN used during the inauguration and presidential debates. The news organization encouraged viewers to send in their personal accounts of the events and aggregated them on their Web site. It was a forward-thinking move that promoted simultaneous viewing and also added to the organization's coverage.

Few broadcast companies have found a way to capitalize on the new viewing habits of sports fans. So, their time might be better spent thinking of innovative ways to engage viewers rather than instituting policies to shut them down.

Throughout my life as an athlete, shaking hands with the opposing team was as much a part of the game as lacing up my cleats, which is why I found the announcement that college football will incorporate pre-game handshakes into the season-opening weekend a bit odd. I had always assumed football exercised the handshake without me noticing.

Both teams will meet in the middle of the field to shake hands before returning their respective sides to begin the game. The whole "ceremony" is estimated to be about four minutes in length--an eternity in the realm of pregame routines. In many cases pregame warm-ups are planned and coordinated down to the second.

The sportsmanship initiative is cosponsored by the NCAA and the American Football Coaches Association as part of "Respect Weekend" and will be lead by the two head coaches and the two directors of athletics (or a representative of the athletics department).

Undoubtedly this will require a sacrifice from coaches and participants, but it is one that could reap benefits far more significant than four additional minutes of warm-ups. The reluctance to give up that time is most likely what is keeping the handshake from becoming a part of every college football game. In fact, it is not even mandatory for teams to participate in the sportsmanship initiative during the upcoming weekend.

While on the surface a simple handshake may seem insignificant, could shaking hands before the game enhance sportsmanship during competition? Would identifying personally with a member of the other team instill a sense of responsibility and accountability into student-athletes?

How may this effect the atmosphere in the stands? Would the display of sportsmanship among the student-athletes send a message to fans?

How would you feel as an athlete if you were asked to shake your opponents hand before competition began?

How would you feel as a fan if the start-time of the game was delayed so viewers could watch the hand-shaking ceremony?

Do you think this would promote healthy competition and a respectful playing field?

Collegiate athletic departments, more specifically football programs, are moving forward in the pursuit of student-athlete wellbeing and safety by incorporating modern technology.

The CorTemp pill, a white, silicone-coated capsule that uses an external remote to measure the body temperature of whoever ingests it, has been used in programs around the country for the past six-years but was most recently sighted on the sidelines of North Carolina's preseason football practices.

The Tar Heels are primarily using the data to study the correlation between heat and the potential for concussions, pairing it with information collected from technology within the helmets measuring G-force impacts absorbed by the helmet. But this information could be instrumental in the prevention of heatstroke and dehydration-related illness and death.

Coach Butch Davis told The News & Observer, the pill allows coaches to monitor the types of drills they run and how each drill affects student-athletes in a variety of ways. Davis went on to say, "What's appropriate for a receiver might not be appropriate for an offensive lineman. So I think it's brilliant."

Identifying student athletes that may be at risk for heat stroke and monitoring them throughout the day is a huge step in reducing the tragic deaths we've seen among student-athletes.
The obvious question is the cost of this equipment and, as a result, its availability to athletic departments in this economic climate. According to The News & Observer, the pill costs $40-per-device and, as you may imagine, is only good for one use and one or two days of practice.

It would not be economically feasible to supply an entire football team with the pill, or even a few athletes every day of practice, but selecting a wide-range of body types, sizes and position or identifying those athletes at risk and collecting data at various points of the season will give coaches information to better educate them in practice and conditioning preparation.

Choosing 10 student-athletes and administering the pill three times during the season would only cost the program $1,200, which I would consider a reasonable cost in regards to the possible benefits. What do you think?

Is this technology too new to be using on student-athletes?

Do you think there are potential risks and side effects that could be more detrimental than helpful?

If you were a football coach, would you alter your budget to afford the CorTemp?

Seven sports--baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, softball and squash--are being considered as possible additions to the 2016 Olympics, but according to the New York Times, golf and rugby are the front-runners to gain approval.

Olympic sponsorship could mean significant changes for each of these sports and potentially increased popularity.

First, in the case of golf, there are already reports that Tiger Woods has expressed interest in competing in 2016 if the sport gains Olympic approval. Arguably one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, Woods' participation in the Olympics would do a tremendous amount for golf in terms of publicity, interest and global participation. Especially since Woods, one of the top golfers in the world, is a minority in a sport commonly considered the jurisdiction of upper-middle class, white males.

As for rugby and squash, the opportunity to become an Olympic sport could add fuel to their bids toward becoming NCAA sponsored. Currently women's rugby and squash are listed as two of four NCAA recognized "emerging sports." (Equestrian and sand volleyball are the other two.) An emerging sport is designed to provide additional athletics opportunities to female student-athletes in an institution's effort to remain Title IX-compliant.

Women's rowing, water polo, ice hockey and bowling are all former emerging sports that now have NCAA-sponsored women's championships.

Could the move to make women's rugby and squash an Olympic sport help their case for becoming an official NCAA sport?

Eunice Kennedy Shriver understood the power that athletics has to transform lives and uplift spirits. As founder of the Special Olympics, Shriver gave opportunity to individuals that (until her advocacy) had largely been ignored.

"I was convinced that with training and practice they could run a race, throw a ball, swim and play team sports," she told the NCAA News in 2002, the same year she was awarded the NCAA's Theodore Roosevelt Award "This would allow them to feel, for the first time in their lives, how liberating and empowering it is to train and to learn, to strive to test one's skills, and to achieve one's personal best.

"Above all, I hoped that the families and neighbors of persons with mental retardation could see what these athletes could accomplish, to take pride in their efforts and to rejoice in their victories," she said.

Although many will mourn her death at age 88, she has left behind a legacy of conviction that will be carried out by those who continue to work for opportunity and fair treatment. But, perhaps her biggest legacy can be found in the many lives that she helped change.

"Thank you so much," Karleigh Jones wrote on a tribute page found on the Special Olympics Web site. "Because of you people like me are seen as valued not as incapable."

The NCAA often works with Special Olympics athletes during championships and other events. At this year's Women's Final Four, the NCAA offered a clinic for Special Olympic athletes through our Youth Education through Sports (YES) program.

I had the opportunity to interact with these athletes and it was incredibly inspiring to see their love for basketball and the tremendous pleasure they derived simply from playing the game.

Few people are courageous enough to stand up for what they believe is right. Eunice Kennedy Shriver not only stood firm in her convictions, she used them to alter the course for generations of very special people.

This post was written by Marcia Stubbeman, associate director of publishing at the NCAA.

First Team is an NCAA initiative designed to promote the value of education and the proper role of athletics in the educational process to high-level young basketball players around the country. The First Team program will soon become part of iHoops--a joint venture of the NCAA and NBA designed to provide a structure and develop programs to improve the quality of youth basketball in order to enhance the athletic, educational and social experience of the participants.

Greg Turner, the director of the NCAA's First Team program, discusses the future and new opportunities for youth basketball.

Student-athletes from around the country have benefited from the lessons learned at the First Team conference. Dennis Hodges, a senior, shares some insights on the impact the program has made on his life.

This post was written by Marcia Stubbeman, associate director of publishing at the NCAA

Saturday's First Team events included the keynote speech by Gary Musselman, Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. He and his wife came early in the morning from Topeka, Kansas, just to give a message to the First Team attendees.

Musselman, who has been involved with First Team since its inception, but who has never attended the event, said it was not about basketball, but preparing young men for life and all it encompasses. Basketball is why they are here at First Team, but they need to be multi-dimensional, and build a life that prepares them for challenges and setbacks as well as life successes.

"This is not about basketball, it is not a basketball event, this is about helping young men develop a well-roundedness in preparation for life," he said.

"Pursue you individual goals, but not to the exclusion of all else."

Seniors attend "Put me in Coach" Session
During this session, Greg Turner, Director of First Team, moderated four former men's basketball coaches, in a discussion on what seniors should expect when playing basketball in college.

Neil Dougherty, former Texas Christian University coach; Sonny Smith, former head coach at Auburn and Virginia Commonwealth; Reggie Minton, deputy executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and former Dartmouth and Air Force head coach; and Paul Biancardi, director of recruiting at ESPN and former Wright State University head coach, told the young men that it was very important to develop a "relationship" with their coach.

The coaches discussed what they expected from the young men, emphasized good academics and said the "courtship" phase was over after they chose their school. They encouraged those who have yet to make a commitment to really study the school they were planning to attend and examine the style of play, making sure it was a good fit.
During their sessions with the juniors, they talked more about recruiting and what they looked for in players.

"Hot topics" seminar hit on dangers of new technology
Media Coach Barbara Pinson of Media Versed hit on several subjects concerning today's technologies. She discussed "sexting" the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones. She warned the young men over 18 that if they did this with a minor female, they could be charged as a sexual predator and might have to register as a sexual offender. She encouraged them to not do this practice.

She also said that because of their athleticism, they were constantly being watched and noticed, and needed to act more mature than others. Cursing, provocative photos on their Facebooks or MySpace pages might come back to haunt them. She told the First Team attendees that Universities were looking at these pages, and that they could be the deal breaker if they saw something they didn't like.
She also gave First Teamers advice on how to give a good interview. Be yourself, smile, don't be too relaxed and "just answer the question." Don't go off on tangents.
Tarence Wheeler, a neighborhood manager for the City of Detroit, related his experiences as a young college athlete. Wheeler played college ball at Arizona State University and then nine years overseas in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia.

He talked about growing up with a mother who had a drug problem an absent father. Wheeler said he was fortunate enough to have a good grandmother and a great coach as a mentor, who helped him through college.

His advice to the young men was to stay clean, watch who your friends are and remember to think before acting. "One wrong decision can change your entire life," Wheeler said.

Cliff and Dirk tell it like it is
Cliff Robinson and Dirk Minniefield, both professional NBA players, relayed their experiences with drugs and alcohol.

Minniefield told the story to attendees how he began using marijuana at age 14. He was the number one basketball player in Kentucky from 8th grade through 12th, and was well know in Lexington, Kentucky, his hometown. He attended the University of Kentucky, and continued using drugs throughout that time.

He told the young men he had three children before graduating from high school, and was married by age 21.

His drug use stifled his NBA career. His message was to concentrate on your life, and follow the straight and narrow. Bypass the drugs, and other diversions and "Use basketball, don't let it use you."

Robinson's career also was riddled with drug use and bad decisions. By the time he left the NBA, he said he was broke. He warned against these habits and said to make sure to get at least one very good mentor in your life, "someone you can totally trust, who has your best interests in mind." He said a person like that can help guide you through the traps.

Robinson and Minniefield have been at several First Team events and their straight talk approach is a favorite.

Final Banquet honors the Seniors
First Team ended with a banquet, where seniors were honored for their success in First Team, basketball and their successes. Anne Little, former director of First Team, was also honored.

This post was written by Marcia Stubbeman, associate director of publishing at the NCAA.

First Team started their first full day of sessions on Friday, with many inspirational speakers who had good advice and information for the First Team attendees.
Sessions covered everything from recruiting, to making transition to college life, to hearing from officials and even a straight talk about sex from a prominent doctor.

Recruitment information
Glenn Terry, NCAA Eligibility Center Assistant Director of Client Relations, led his session on recruiting for juniors. He discussed everything necessary for a young student-athlete to qualify to play basketball in college. Terry discussed recruitment, core courses, campus visits, talking with coaches and getting good grades.

"You have immense talent and people want to be around you. Watch the people around you and who your best friends are," he advised the group. "Winners set their own standards, instead of focusing on their competition. When you focus on your competitors you let them set your standards. Winners do, and let the followers follow."

Straight talk on sex
Another important First Team session dealt with straight talk about sex.
Dr. David Malebranche of the Emory University School of Medicine, and an expert on HIV in the black race, talked directly to the young men about the perils of unprotected sex.

He discussed venereal disease as well as HIV/AIDS with a room of 200 young men. He outlined the myths and truths on the subject. And he gave scenarios that helped the

First Team members know the truth.

He said peer pressure, having sex/children makes one a man, alcohol and drugs cloud one's judgment and it is not going to happen to me, are some of the biggest misconceptions young people believe about sex.

His advice to these young men? "Think before you act."

Offensive and Defensive Strategies
Greg Turner, head of First Team, spoke in a talk show format to two officials. The first was Tony Green, who officiates college games, including Final Fours, and the second was Tony Brown, who is an NBA official.

Tony Green told First Team on how it felt to be an official. He started his session by having one half of the room boo him, while the others cheered him, all at once. He said that was how it was on the floor of a basketball game during a game.

He encouraged the young men to work hard, step outside the box and be a leader.
"Take care of yourself and listen to this message. One day you will need to get a job and you must take care of the precious temple you have," said Green.

Tony Brown, an NBA official, explained how the college game is more of a coaches game, in the NBA, it is more communication with the players.

"Learn to be a professional," he said. "And take care and stay focused."

This post was written by Marcia Stubbeman, NCAA Associate Director of Publishing

First Team kicked off Friday morning in Overland Park, Kansas.

The First Team Conference is held every year for elite high school basketball athletes, giving them information on life skills, as well as eligibility, recruiting and even etiquette.

Greg Turner, head of the First Team Conference, lead the over 200 participants in the First Team Pledge. After the pledge, each young man introduced himself, giving his name, hometown, year in school and number of years with First Team.

Guest speaker Damon Stringer

The first main speaker for the day was Damon Stringer. Stringer started his college career at The Ohio State University, transferring to Cleveland State University after his sophomore year. He went on to play professional basketball in China and other countries.

His message to the young men at the First Team event was to stay away from drugs, alcohol and gambling.

"Drugs and alcohol will hurt you. If you think they won't hurt you, you are dead wrong," Stringer said. "There is no place in your life as an athlete to use drugs and alcohol. You will attract a lot of attention to yourself because you are good players. And it isn't always good attention."

He started his part of the conference by having one side of the large conference yell out "Set realistic and detailed goals and stay focused on them daily." The other side of the room yelled back, "Say no to drugs and alcohol."

He explained the more successful one becomes, the more outside influences can get in the way. And those influences can be bad.

When he was at Ohio State, Stringer said he let his focus on his goals drop when he was injured, and he got involved with people who did not have his best interests in mind. He did not set goals during the injury and got into trouble at school. That was part of the reason he transferred to Cleveland State.

After college, he played basketball in China, then returned to the U.S. to try out for the NBA. He went to a party, where there were drugs, alcohol and gambling. He and friends got in a fight over money, and a gun was pulled. He was sentenced to four years in prison, serving two, and ending his dream of playing in the NBA.

"Drugs break down the body. Put down any drugs, just say sober. You don't want to look back and regret your decisions."

Stringer said if he would have stayed clean, he may have had a different path. He hopes his life was not in vain. And he was happy to share his message with the First Team members.

Guest speaker Jimmie King

Jimmie King started his career in basketball competing with his brothers.

"I was blessed to have athletic ability, but it does not translate if you don't work hard, he said."You have to set your goals high and believe in your heart you can achieve."

King played basketball at the University of Michigan, as well as in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors. He also played in other professional leagues.

King told the First Team members they are leaders.

"I have been all over the world, and have a lot of opportunities because of the game of basketball. If I was not disciplined, didn't stay out of trouble, and know I had a higher goal and meaning in life, I would not have achieved this goal."

He told the group the higher they go in their sport, the harder it is. "The game changes in colleges. Everyone there can play. Everyone's talent level is there. Your work ethic and willingness to be coached is what sets you apart."

"Stand up for who you are. Be confident," he said. "When you have something that others don't have, they want to get close to you. People don't always have good intentions."

King stated, "The further you get in basketball, the harder it gets. "You have to be mature, because it is easy to go out there and do what you want and think the world owes you. You have to have the drive to get better, be disciplined, be a leader and not be status quo."

"The reality of it is, basketball is a short career. It goes by fast. Don't let this game use you, use the game to get the experience you need to have a good life. Stay focused, be a leader, and learn what you need to learn"

King said the First Team allows you to rub shoulders with those from different parts of the country and you learn from each other. It teaches you to interact.

"You have talent that God has given you, and use it to forge what you want to be," King added.

A recent report found that only 10 percent of Division I athletics programs have long-term plans for environmental sustainability and less than half claim sustainability as a high priority. The findings come just a few months after more than 620 college and universities presidents signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which pledged to develop an institutional-wide action plan for becoming climate neutral.

The report, developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, surveyed 97 of the 119 FBS schools. According to the findings, less than 10 percent said their university is currently measuring or planning to measure the athletic department's greenhouse gas emissions, which is an important benchmark for measuring progress.

While it's encouraging to see that 80 percent of athletic departments have implemented "moderate" or "extensive" recycling initiatives, benchmarks seem to be missing here as well. Less than 5 percent claim they are measuring recycling rates and setting goals for improving these rates across the entire athletic department.

The report points to a lack of institutional buy-in and leadership. Only 33 percent of those schools surveyed claim that key decision makers have a "strongly positive" perception of implementing environmental initiatives.

News is even grimmer when compared to professional athletics organizations. According to the results, only 25 percent of college athletics programs have developed or are actively planning to develop a strategic sustainability plan, compared to 72 percent of professional teams. Moreover, 43 percent of universities say they are "slightly concerned" or "very concerned" that environmental programs will distract from the main goals of the organization, compared with 26 percent in the professional leagues.

In these tough economic times, athletics departments are turning their attention to keeping their programs afloat and perhaps sustainability is less of a priority. Still, college sports are often the most public face of the university. If schools are truly committed to creating a climate neutral environment, they must begin holding athletics departments accountable for their carbon footprint.

Does your athletics department have a plan for sustainability? Why do you think university athletics departments are reluctant to embrace environmental initiatives?

Twenty-five years ago, women's athletics was elevated to unprecedented heights in a small gym in West Virginia.

On December 21, 1984, Georgeann Wells, a 6-foot-7 junior at University of West Virginia, received a half-court pass from her teammate and threw down a dunk (in front of 100 or so people) that put her name in the record books as the first woman to ever dunk in a college game.

Unfortunately for Wells, there was no visual evidence of the dunk and disbelievers insisted the event never occurred. The only person that had a tape was the coach of the opposing team, Bud Francis, who refused to share the footage with anyone. Coach Francis passed away in 1999, and thanks to the persistence of one Wall Street Journal reporter, Bud's son Ford discovered the tape among a collection of his father's old VHS tapes. Wells' dunk has finally found the light of day and is receiving long-overdue respect and attention.

Here is Wells' interview with ESPN and the footage of her historic dunk.

Watching the video of the dunk makes the hair on my arms stand up, even after my sixth time watching it. Seeing women dunk nowadays is exciting, but to think about what Wells dunk meant for female athletics at the time is truly inspiring.

While the dunk is still not commonplace in women's basketball, Wells paved the way for other young women to attempt the move, although it would take a decade for another woman to accomplish. Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie and the next up-and-comer Brittney Griner are all members of the elite female-dunking class.

Here are a couple videos with dunks from these iconic female athletes.

In a press conference yesterday Hawaii Head Football Coach Greg McMackin used a derogatory word for homosexuals to describe the Notre Dame football team. I refuse to use the word on the blog, but you can read the AP's account here.

Realizing his mistake, McMackin used the word two more times in an awkward attempt at an apology. He then went on to ask reporters to "cover for him" by not printing the account of his apparent slip.

The university promptly issued a formal apology. "I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate words that I used," McMackin said in the statement. "My comments were out of character and I have no prejudices against anyone. I'm really upset with myself and I'm truly sorry for my remarks."

Homophobia is a major issue in college sports and McMackin's insensitive and homophobic remarks are likely to reignite the debate on what should be done.

At last year's NCAA Convention, I had the opportunity to ask Billie Jean King her thoughts on how the NCAA and our member institutions can promote a respectful and inclusive environment for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered student-athletes. Most importantly, King stressed the need for a safe environment. She also encouraged straight team leaders to stand up in support of gay athletes.

As former Division II Bloomsburg defensive tackle Brian Sims can attest, when student-leaders embrace differences, it can have a positive impact on an entire team. Sims was outed by a former boyfriend who told the team's quarterback about his romantic relationship with Sims.

One evening the quarterback asked Sims about the allegation. "I knew it was going to happen, I just didn't know how or when," Sims told OutSports.com. "I feared it would change the dynamic in the locker room. You're spending four or five hours a day with your friends, and that's what I played for. I cared that my team would still be comfortable around me. I was concerned that in the locker room guys would be uncomfortable around me."

Much to Sims' relief, the quarterback was supportive, as was the entire team when word spread about his orientation.

"It became a funny sense of pride for a lot of my teammates and close friends," Sims said. "Pennsylvania is not an extremely liberal state, especially central Pennsylvania. Football players are not what I would consider particularly exposed people, especially college football players. But I think it became a sense of pride for all of them. 'Not only is this guy an All-Conference player, and not only is he a starter, and not only is he a good friend of mine, but I'm all right with the fact that he's gay.' And I started seeing a lot of that."

Unfortunately, not all gay student-athletes have a positive experience when their orientation is discovered and remarks like those made by McMackin give the perception that homosexuality is unwelcome in college sports, especially football.

Still, stories like those shared by Sims give me hope that perhaps the current generation of student-athletes is more accepting and more open to different sexual orientations. Perhaps it will be student-athletes that eventually lead us past homophobic attitudes toward a more inclusive future.

How do you think we can solve homophobia in college athletics?

A recent New York Times article explored the effect youth sports have on local economies during the economic downturn. The trend they found was that girls' tournaments attract more spectators, and as a result generate more revenue, than boys.

According to the article, the National Softball Association Class A Eastern World Series, a fast-pitch tournament for girls' teams between 10 and 16-years-old, drew 232 teams and roughly 7,500 people. City officials estimated that visitors would spend $3.6 million for the week in Chattanooga.

Tournament attendees admitted to treating the event as a family vacation; bringing along the whole family and taking in the local sites and attractions. Several also admitted that they did not, or hypothetically would not, do the same at a tournament for their sons.

Many told the Times that potential causes could be "a tendency among parents to be more protective of daughters; a heightened interest in girls' sports; and the increased attendance of mothers at games."

As a female athlete, I didn't like the suggestion made about the necessity to travel with girls more than boys in order to protect them. I was also bothered by the fact that competitive softball tournaments are being represented as shopping excursions while an older brother's baseball tournament is illustrated as a more serious and competitive arena where they, "eat sleep and drink baseball" with "no leisure activity." It's almost devaluing the competition of the girls' tournaments.

I am certainly projecting my own biases as a former competitive softball player onto this article, but there may actually be a bigger question as a result of this. Perhaps the increased travel surrounding girls' sports is required because there is less of an opportunity to compete at such a competitive level locally.

For boys baseball there are plenty of competitive local leagues, but in order to get the same competition and exposure as a girl, tournaments must span across regions.

Do you think there is enough competitive opportunity available for young women?

Do you have similar experiences around boy or girl youth tournaments?

Do you think there are any other factors that could cause the increased revenue surrounding girls' sports?

This post was written by Gary Brown, director of the NCAA News and Champion Magazine

It isn't often that swimming takes the media stage, but between the FINA and NCAA rulings this week about what swimmers will be allowed to wear in future competitions, this "non-revenue" sport made a splash.

The obvious news is that suits will have to be constructed of woven materials that are permeable to air and water, and they'll be limited in coverage to between the waist and kneecap for men and the shoulders and kneecaps for women.

Not so obvious, though, is how the NCAA reached its decision.

First off, let's dispel a couple of myths. For one, the NCAA swimming and diving committees don't just sit back and do whatever FINA does. The NCAA Divisions I, II and III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committees - composed of coaches and administrators from NCAA member schools - certainly pay attention to what the sport's international governing body is up to, but rules for collegiate competition must be common for all three divisions. While it's nice to align with FINA when appropriate (since many college swimmers also compete at a high level internationally), the NCAA committees cater to a much broader constituency than the very elite and must rule accordingly.

Second, committee members didn't just wake up last week, discover they had a meeting coming up in Indianapolis and decide to start thinking about suits. On the contrary, they've been thinking about suits for months. Committee Chair Tracy Huth, the athletics director at Oakland, said that in some cases, serving on an NCAA sports committee requires an occasional conference call and then an annual meeting where everyone is glad to see each other. These swimming committee members, though, have convened so much in the last 18 months that they're probably ready to seek restraining orders.

But the constant communication, both inward within the committee and outward with other coaching and governing groups, led to positive outcomes. And most importantly, the NCAA committees reached their decisions independent of FINA.

Sure, the breadth of communication meant that the NCAA people were talking to people who were connected internationally as well, so it's safe to say that the NCAA committees were apprised of where FINA might have been heading.

But FINA had flip-flopped before, hinting this spring that restrictions were coming only to allow all suits for the 2009 world championships. And even now, while FINA's recommendations look a lot like the NCAA's, the collegiate swimming season starts in a few weeks, while FINA has said its restrictions will be effective sometime in 2010.

Thus, the NCAA committees had to do what they thought were in the best interests of the sport at the collegiate level, regardless of what they thought FINA might do.

Mission accomplished.

All NCAA committees depend on volunteers to get their feet wet. In the case of the NCAA swimming committees, though, these men and women dove into a whirlpool and emerged with a better suit.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Tuesday the conference is creating the SEC Digital Network.

The new Web site will provide SEC fans with wall-to-wall coverage of all things SEC.

"The SEC Digital Network provides our fans with access to the largest online library ever of the Southeastern Conference and its institutions," Slive said in a statement. "Through the efforts of XOS Digital, the SEC Digital Network will provide us with the ability to create and repurpose programming for our fans in a way that was not possible in the past."

The new site will include:

• Game highlights
• Complete game replays
• Breaking SEC news in real-time
• Post-game interviews
• Tailgate events
• Behind-the-scenes pep talks
• Press conferences

According to the press release, the network will include all men's and women's sports. For the 2009-10 season, fans can expect coverage and commentary from a total of 96 regular season football games, 186 regular and pre-season men's basketball games, 165 regular season women's basketball games, more than 750 Olympic events and all championships and tournaments.

FINA has spoken: high-tech bodysuits are out. On Friday the international swimming governing body moved to ban all forms of the controversial swimwear by ruling only waist-to-knee suits for men and shoulder-to-knee suits for women legal.

The move could have a significant impact on collegiate swimming, as many suspect NCAA rules will follow FINA's recommendations. USA Swimming, which governs swimming in the United States, follows FINA's rules and as a result all youth competitions will no longer permit use of the suits.

Since the introduction of Speedo's LZR Racer almost two years ago manufactures have scrambled to keep pace--spawning a host of imitators. The LZR era has witnessed the breaking of 130 world records. Only four world records remain unbroken since the introduction of the suits.

FINA has faced increasing pressure to crackdown on the suits with some charging the body has not done enough to regulate their use.

University of Southern California Swim Coach Dave Salo told the New York Times, "I think when FINA didn't define the rules, it opened this quagmire for all the swimsuit companies because they looked around and said, 'Oh, there are no rules.' "

Salo went on to say that he believes the suits devalue athleticism. "A lot of kids who aren't in very good shape can put on one of these suits and be streamlined like seals."

Now that FINA has banned the suits, it will now be forced to grapple with the question of what to do about the records broken in the bodysuit era.

What do you think? Should the NCAA adopt FINA's rules and ban the bodysuit?

In what could easily be a scene from the summer blockbuster movie "The Hangover," a college football player will miss the upcoming season after being attacked by a zebra.

Yep, you read that right.

Pittsburg States' Joe Windscheffe suffered a nasty compound forearm fracture after being bitten by an overly aggressive male zebra while trying to paint a fence.

"You only see zebras on television getting eaten by lions, but they are stronger than they look," Windscheffel told The Morning Sun newspaper. "It was just a freak deal."

Agreed. If I had a dollar for every "When Zebras Attack" story I've heard ... I'd have a dollar.

According to the newspaper:

Windscheffel, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker/safety from Smith Center, recently had to move three female and a male zebra to paint a fence along a pasture line.

But the male charged him, bit his arm and would not let go. The animal was dragging Windscheffel by his arm when two of his fellow farm hands finally freed him.

Windscheffe, who already redshirted last season because of injury, isn't expected to be ready to play for the Gorillas this season.

He's taking his setback in stride, ""I laugh about it," he said. "People get worried that I am going to be bothered because they are laughing, but it really doesn't bother me, and I laugh about it now."

Best of luck in your recover, Joe.

What's the weirdest sports injury you've ever suffered?

After collecting the heights and weights of the fastest swimmers and sprinters over the past 100 years a pair of engineers noticed a significant trend: the taller and heavier athletes are outperforming their shorter, lighter counterparts.

Jordan Charles, a Duke University engineering student that graduated this spring, and Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke, say that this is a result of the theoretical rules of animal locomotion. Namely, motion can be broken down in two parts: a force upwards against gravity and a second force forward against friction. Heavier athletes with denser muscle mass will be able to exert a more powerful force.

Perhaps more interesting though, is the rate at which successful athletes are growing. According to Charles and Bejan's research, in the past century the fastest swimmers have grown 4.5 inches while elite runners have grown 6.4 inches.

The Guardian uses Usain Bolt, the world record holder in the 100-meter dash, as a point of reference to demonstrate this point. At 6ft 5in, Bolt is a full seven inches taller than Jesse Owens, who broke the record in 1936, three inches taller than Carl Lewis, who broke it in 1987 and heavier than both previous world record holders. The height difference between Bolt and Eddie Tolan, the record holder in 1929, is 11 inches.

In comparison, the average American has only gained 1.9 inches in the same time frame.

While Bejan points to a constructal theory that he has developed as the cause for this increase in elite athletes, I view it as a prime example of "survival of the fittest."

It is not that athletes are growing faster because they are competing in athletics or training regularly, but instead that average-sized humans are being edged out of competition. This led Bejan to raise an interesting question: should we implement weight classes into sports involving speed?

If we want to maintain a diverse playing field with all shapes and sizes of athletes, this may be the only solution. Weight classes already exist in certain sports such as boxing, wrestling and weight lifting, is it time to incorporate them into other organized competition?

Of course there will always be exceptions. Every now and then a small athlete will come along that can compete with the heavy weights, but for the vast majority of average-sized athletes, a championship or gold medal may be unattainable without the creation of weight classes.

Does creating weight classes in track detract from the competitive field?

South Florida is getting tough on attendance. The school announced a new academic accountability policy for members of the football team. Beginning this fall, student-athletes who have five unexcused absences from class will face a one-game suspension.

"This is what we believe what we need to have in place to have the most positive impact on our programs," USF Associate Athletic Director Amy Haworth told the Tampa Tribune. "If we need to adjust [in the future] we will. We want [our teams] to have the best performance academically and athletically and can do it by changing policy and having higher expectations."

According to the newspaper, there will be no penalty for the first three unexcused absences (the players' parents will be notified after the third absence). A fourth unexcused absence will result in the player being held out of one practice. The absences are cumulative for each semester and not per class.

During the past two years, the football team has ranked well below average in APR scores (among Football Championship Subdivision schools).

USF's basketball team is creating a similar attendance requirement for the upcoming season.

It's good to see South Florida do more than make sure its student-athletes are eligible. Academics need to be taken seriously.If an attendance policy is what it takes, t I'm all for it.

Do you think school's are doing enough to help student-athletes with academics?

As we reflect on the 40th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, we thought it would be fun to take a look at college sports in that year.

Here's what we found:

• 1969 was the first year the Division I men's basketball championship was broadcast on network television by NBC. The network also televised some regional games.

• UCLA beat Purdue 92-72 to claim John Wooden's fifth NCAA men's basketball championship.

• In 1969 college football celebrated its centennial year.

• Texas (#1) defeated Arkansas (#2) in what became known as the "Big Shoot Out." The Longhorns came back from a 14-0 deficit to win over the Razorbacks 15-14 in Razorback Stadium.

• Michigan upset first ranked Ohio State, sending the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. Also that year, artificial turf was installed in the Big House. (Ohio State installed turf one year later.)

• Mark Spitz set the world record for the men's 200 meter freestyle at 1:54.3. Today Michael Phelps holds that record at 1:42.96.

• In 1968 Jim Hines set the world record for the 100 meter dash at 9.95. His record lasted until 1983 when Calvin Smith turned in a time of 9.93. Usain Bolt now holds the record at a blistering 9.69.

• In 1969 the first national collegiate trampoline championships were conducted at the University of Michigan.

• The same year also witnessed the addition of the first National Collegiate Water Polo Championship at Long Beach State University.

• The first Division Regional Football Championship Games (Amos Alonzo Stagg and Knute Rockne Bowls) were played in Springfield, Ohio and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

• In 1969 the NCAA did not recognize participation by women. The first female to compete in any NCAA championship was diver Darcia Schileru of Wayne State in 1973. 1982 marked the first women's basketball championship.

What did we miss?

A long-time friend of the Association, Walter Cronkite made two appearances at the National Convention, most recently in 2006 when he sat down for an intimate interview with NCAA President Myles Brand. Perhaps it's fitting that we remember the legendary anchor man on the 40th anniversary of his speechless reaction to the Apollo 11 landing--a reaction that embodied the wonder and awe of an elated nation.

Here are some clips from the 2006 conversation:

Cronkite on his report from Vietnam and President Johnson's reaction:

Cronkite on the importance of television and its impact on the atomic age:

Cronkite on the increased blending of entertainment and news:

Cronkite discusses the bedrock principles of journalism:

Cronkite calls his interview with Anwar Sadat "the most important interview" he ever did:

Watch the full interview:

Click here to check out Day 1 of the NCAA mock selection exercise

The NCAA Division I women's basketball staff concludes a "mock" selection session today in Indianapolis. The mock committee features 17 current head coaches and two administrators from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Click here to check out Day 2 of the live blog

The NCAA Division I women's basketball staff will conduct a "mock" selection session Thursday morning in Indianapolis. The mock committee will feature 17 current head coaches and two administrators from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

The exercise will give participants a taste of the nearly week-long process the Division I Women's Basketball Committee goes through annually.

The mock selection committee will have access to all the tools ("nitty-gritty" reports, game results, RPI calculations) and will follow the same principles and procedures the actual committee follows when it assembles the championship bracket.

Those scheduled to attend the event are:
• Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
• Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt
• Joanne Boyle, California
• Doug Bruno, DePaul
• Sherri Coale, Oklahoma
• Brian Giorgis, Marist
• Gail Goestenkors, Texas
• Shann Hart, IUPUI
• Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina
• Rick Insell, Middle Tennessee State
• Wendy Larry, Old Dominion
• Felisha Legette-Jack, Indiana
• Joanne P. McCallie, Duke
• Curt Miller, Bowling Green
• Jeff Mittie, TCU
• Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford
• Audra Smith, Alabama-Birmingham
• WBCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Bass
• WBCA consultant Betty Jaynes

Major League Baseball has been experiencing an influx of players admitting to and seeking help for mental health problems. Three athletes have spent time on the disabled list this season because of mental health issues and Ian Snell, a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, recently requested to be sent to AAA while coping with suicidal thoughts.

There is no indication as to why so many players are coming forward all at once, but it begs the question of whether athletes have always dealt with mental health problems and have simply never felt comfortable with admitting it.

Struggles with mental health span sports and demographics, and leads me to wonder about the mental health of student-athletes.

According to US News, 45% of college-age students say they've been so depressed that it was difficult to function and 10% have seriously considered suicide.

It seems with the prevalence of mental-health problems during college years coupled with the natural stress of sport, student-athletes may be the most susceptible to struggle with mental illness. With that said, I am surprised I have not heard more cases of student-athletes dealing with mental illness. In writing this post, I am also surprised to find the lack of studies done on the mental health of collegiate student-athletes.

While the lack of research could indicate perfect mental health among student-athletes, the cynic in me can't help but wonder this means student-athletes are uncomfortable with coming forward and seeking help.

The Wall Street Journal points to a stigma held against athletes for admitting to mental illness, and judging by some of the reader comments on the Journal's article--"They're supposed to be professionals. They've been doing this since they were what? Six or eight years old? Play through the anxiety!"--the stigma seems very real.

To learn more, there are several articles and resources for depression and mental-health related issues in collegiate athletics available on ncaa.org.

As a society is it fair to hold an athlete to a different standard than the general population?

Do you think this stigma contributes to the hesitation to seek help for mental illness?

Is enough attention given to this aspect of student-athlete wellness?

Do you think more research needs to be done on the mental health of student athletes?

A new study suggests postponing ACL surgery in young athletes has risks. In the past doctors preferred to give a child's bones more time to grow before drilling into them.

A study released during the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, found that a delay in treatment of ACL injuries of more than 12 weeks led to about a four-fold increase in irreparable medial meniscus tears, an 11-fold increase in lateral compartment chondral injuries and a three-fold increase in patellotrochlear injuries. A delay in treatment also significantly increased issues related to knee instability.

"The risk of inducing a growth disturbance with early reconstruction of a torn ACL must be balanced against the risk of further knee damage by delaying treatment until closer to skeletal maturity. Our study measured the independent risk factors for and relative risk of meniscal and chondral injuries in pediatric ACL patients," said author, Theodore J. Ganley, MD, Director of the Sports Medicine and Performance Center for The Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The Double-A Zone recently examined ACL injuries in female student-athletes. According to research, women are two and a half to four times more likely to tear their ACLs than men, depending on the sport.

Check out the NCAA's feature on ACL injuries. The feature teaches proper jumping and landing techniques.

For the first time in history, the NCAA has approved membership to a Canadian institution. Simon Fraser, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, will need to complete a two-year candidacy period and one provisional year before becoming an active member of Division II's Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

When I first read about this, I was excited about accepting our neighbors to the north. I think the more diverse the membership, the more enriched the student-athlete experience will be. I know as a former student-athlete I loved seeing different campuses in different areas.

I also support giving the student-athletes of Simon Fraser the opportunity to compete against the highest caliber of intercollegiate athletes.

But when I began thinking about the implications of accepting an international member I grew slightly wary of the idea.

Logistically, every student-athlete will require a passport. Not just Simon Fraser student-athletes, but every student-athlete within the Great Northwest Athletic Conference who intends to travel to the Canadian campus to compete. Likewise, so will all institutions that hope to schedule non-conference competition with the university. Who will be responsible for the additional cost? At around $100 per passport, is it fair to require student-athletes to provide their own?

This additional cost may deter domestic institutions from wanting to compete against the school, resulting in either increased travel time and costs for Simon Fraser or decreased opportunity to compete, both of which may negatively impact the overall experience of Simon Fraser student-athletes.

Will it be more difficult to govern and regulate an international member? It is already a challenge to enforce and uphold the standards of the NCAA among our domestic membership and I can imagine an international border may make that increasingly difficult. While there is already a lot of discussion regarding state and federal privacy laws, Canadian schools will fall under an entirely different jurisdiction. Acquiring necessary documents and data will be become that much harder.

And, the question posed by one of my coworkers, will the National Collegiate Athletic Association be forced to become the ICAA, the International Collegiate Athletic Association?

While I love the idea of exposing a student-athlete to the most diverse collegiate opportunity possible, there are certainly concerns of the impact this may have on the intercollegiate athletic world. That is not to say that these are problems without solutions, but they certainly will need to be addressed during this process.

Throughout this process the NCAA has addressed many of these same concerns. Here are some articles that further explain what this move means and how it is being handled.

The candidacy and provisional years will prove the perfect time to iron out any of these snags and help acclimate Simon Fraser to the way intercollegiate athletics operates in the United States. I think long-term this will be a beneficial move for Division II but the road there will be filled with hurdles and tribulations.

Where were you ten years ago today? I was in my grandmother's hospital room watching as an exuberant Brandi Chastain pulled off her shirt, revealing a black sports bra and simultaneously etching one of the most iconic photos in sports history.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the United State's win over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup. The event remains the most-attended women's sports event in history with 90,185 witnessing the U.S. women's soccer team's miraculous over-time win.

I don't know if grandma approved of the sports bra, but I keenly remember how pleased she was that an entire country rallied around these women. In her day, it was unusual for women to even go to college, but like the women of the U.S. soccer team, she defied expectations and pursued her college degree.

The tenacity of women like my grandma made it possible for others like Billie Jean King to have the courage and conviction to embrace and nurture their talents. With each generation, women have thumbed their noses at convention and dared to bare their aspirations for the world to see.

For me, the fact that I witnessed this event sitting at my grandmother's side is a poignant reflection of how far women have come. It's also a striking reminder of the power athletics has to change the culture of a nation.

For many young girls, that single moment inspired a lifetime of athletics involvement. It said to them what the Battle of the Sexes said to a different generation: You can do anything.

"It was about so much more than soccer," Chastain told columnist Bill Plaschke. "I really think the experience made girls stronger, more confident. They realized that team sports could be part of who they are."

From 1999 to 2008 participation rates for girls in high school athletics has increased from 2,662,336 to 3,057,266. Girls participation in soccer has increased from 257,586 in 1999 to 346,545.

The biggest spikes in high school girls' soccer participation happened over the last five years. While it's difficult to draw a direct comparison between the recent rise in soccer participation to the Women's World Cup victory, it seems at least possible that young girls watching the women play on TV decided to opt for the sport while they were young and continue that play into high school.

The World Cup victory also sent another important message to the country: it's OK (and actually fun) to root for female athletes. Today viewership for women's athletics is increasing every year. Professional opportunities are expanding and the WNBA just celebrated its 13th year.

Perhaps it's fitting that late last month Chastain received a special delivery in the mail from the now defunct Sports Museum of America--a framed black sports bra, returned to her once again just in time for the celebration.

A junior defensive back at Western Carolina collapsed and died during a voluntary off-season practice yesterday. The workout was the first for the junior transfer who was joining the Catamounts from Georgia Military College.

The student-athlete had been removed from practice to stretch after complaints of cramping and collapsed after rejoining the team. The cause of his death is still very much unclear and it is unknown if the he had any pre-existing conditions that contributed to his death.

Stories like those from Western Carolina underscore a problem faced by many athletics programs: How do you protect student-athletes from the vast variety of ailments that could result in death or serious injury?

We've argued before on this blog that all student-athletes should undergo heart testing to prevent complications from unknown defects. But, is testing for the heart and other issues the answer, or do we also need to better train and equip our athletics staffs?

Rashidi Wheeler, who collapsed in August of 2001 during an off-season practice with his Northwestern football squad, was only 22-years-old when he experienced a fatal exercise-induced asthma attack. According to UWire, Wheeler's father, George Wheeler, has since created the National Sport Safety Organization and works to ensure necessary safety precautions are taken during competition and at practice. Wheeler has worked with paramedic professionals to come up with an NSSO Sports Safety Kit, which includes some essentials, including a defibrillator.

There are also common sense guidelines that coaches should remain diligent about, especially during hot summer workouts.

Last year the death of a Kentucky high school student-athlete, Max Gilpen, sparked a debate over proper training and hydration in extreme heat. Although a recent report investigating the case found that the coaching staff adhered to the rules and regulations of heat safety as spelled out by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA), Gilpen's death and the subsequent backlash against the school should serve as a warning to schools tempted to walk the line between safe and unsafe behaviors.

For his part the Jefferson County Public Schools Supt. Sheldon Berman (the district where Gilpen competed) announced changes that will have wide-ranging impact on Kentucky schools including:

• Expediting the new KHSAA rule requiring assistant coaches to join head coaches in attending approved sports safety courses;
• Requiring that each athlete and a parent attend a seminar on healthy habits, nutritional recommendations, injury prevention and treatment, medication and supplement use, and heat- related guidelines; and
• Requiring that every JCPS athlete list all non-prescription medications and supplements he or she is taking; this list is to be reviewed by the physician who conducts the student's physical examination prior to athletic activity.

So, what can be learned from these tragedies? How can we protect student-athletes in the future?

In a recent opinion piece in the New York Times William C. Rhoden argues that if soccer is to attract young Hispanic and African Americans to the sport, serious economic and racial issues must be addressed. "... we have created a system that produces not so much the best players, but the best players who can afford to play," he writes.

Rhoden gets at the heart of a problem that plagues many sports: How can you offer opportunity to disadvantaged youth in a sport that requires significant financial and parental resources?

A recent Women's Sports Foundation study illustrates the point. Only 59 percent of urban girls between third and fifth grade compete in organized sport compared to 81 percent of girls in suburban areas.

In its exploration of the growing participation gap between urban and suburban girls, New York Times reporter Katie Thomas writes, "In the suburbs, girls' participation in sports is so commonplace... But the revolution in girls' sports has largely bypassed the nation's cities, where public school districts short on money often view sports as a luxury rather than an entitlement."

Thomas also found that many immigrant and lower-income parents support their sons' extracurricular athletics, but not their daughters'. Often parents depend on the girls to fill in as babysitters or complete other household chores to keep the house running while the adults work long hours.

The problem may not be with the sports themselves, rather with the institution of organized youth leagues. Soccer, for example, is cheap to play, but the leagues that offer opportunity for competition are often costly.

Sports like golf bring another challenge. Golf is an expensive sport and courses aren't like basketball courts--they require massive amounts of green space, which isn't too common in urban areas where there are high populations of Hispanics and African-Americans.

The solution, Rhoden suggests, may be in leagues like Harlem Youth Soccer--a non-profit league designed to offer recreational and competitive soccer teams to urban youth.

Getting more minority youth participating in non-traditional sports will only benefit the college ranks. What solutions do you see?

You would think it is the end of civilization as we know it.

According to scores of media reports over the last two months, the NBA's rule that a young man must be out of high school a year and at least 19 years old to enter its draft - termed by most as the one-and-done rule - is the ruination of college basketball. Others decry it as a violation of some sacred right to professionalize oneself regardless of whether one is ready to do so or not.

Despite the dire warnings of the conspiracy theorists, this is the NBA rule; not the NCAA rule. It is the result of a collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players' association (otherwise the rule likely would be illegal). The NCAA neither had nor has any role to play in either the original creation or any future amendment of the rule.

Other than all the articles written, it has little impact on the college game.

"But wait," shout the naysayers, "What about the fact that the rule guarantees there will be basketball players - student-athletes - who have no intention of being students and even stop going to classes their second semester? And what about the fact that some may cheat to become eligible for their required one year?"

The problem with the majority of the media reports is that they focus on the same two or three examples and fail to point out that the number of one-and-doners is no more than a handful in any one year.

To be honest, the one-and-done rule is not perfect. It creates a few examples of disingenuous matriculation on the part of young men who would rather have bypassed college to play basketball at a professional level. But for the life of me, I can't see that the rule has increased the number of such examples.

The overwhelming majority of male college basketball players who yearn for "the league" realize the college game will improve their chances of being successful as professional players. Most, but not all, will stay until they have their degree (although increasingly they return get it), but we don't find fault with musicians who leave early for "the pros" or entrepreneurs who forgo a degree for the fortunes of a new business enterprise.

I would prefer that all who enter college stay to earn a degree or return to do so. As an educator for more than 40 years, I'm convinced they will be happier, be more productive, and be better citizens if they do. But not all will...whether they are student-athletes or not.

And it should be noted that there are other opportunities for those elite few basketball standouts who just don't want to go to college. They can take the European route, or they can enter the NBA's developmental league. They should seriously consider those alternatives.

And as for the cheaters?

Well, they're cheaters. Do we really think the one-and-done rule made them that way?

Let's be clear on a few points:

• If I understand David Stern's unambiguous message, the rule is a business decision on the part of the NBA. It no longer wants to risk large bonuses on high school graduates who may or may not be pro ready. Sounds right.

• The players association members may have seen that there is more salary to distribute to the proven talented if less is spent on unproven speculation.

• And even though the NCAA has no dog in this fight, I have been clear that I like the fact the rule reminds most high school boys that they can't just write off their education. The rule tends to keep the heads of a larger number of young basketball athletes in their books long enough at least to prepare them for a potential college opportunity.

What I would like even more is an NBA rule (Did I mention that only the NBA and its players association, not the NCAA, can amend the rule?) that requires two years out of high school before entering the draft. In my mind, it would improve the situation for the college game and enhance the business benefits for the NBA.

The marketability of the stars would be increased in that they would be better known before beginning their professional careers. They would also be further along in their physical and skill development. Good things for the NBA.

From the college perspective, there are clear advantages. Even if players leave after a year and a half, it is likely they would have attended two summer sessions (one before the start of their freshman year to address any deficiencies and one between their freshman and sophomore years). That's five semesters and a lot further down the road than the one-and-done allows.

It would also mean that high school basketball athletes would come to college much better prepared, and those who just don't want the college experience may more seriously consider other opportunities.

To be sure, a two-year rule will not resolve all the problems, even though it is an improvement. The recruiting environment will not change simply by moving to a 20-year-old age rule. To fix that, and related issues, the NCAA will need to strongly enhance its enforcement.

Third parties will still hang around programs, perhaps for longer periods of time. The trouble that such parties can get young athletes - and colleges and universities - into is not to be taken lightly. Enforcement, including at state and federal levels, is still the answer.

I have no idea how the next round of collective bargaining between the NBA and players' association will go. The age-limitation rule is in their hands. I'm not as opposed to the one-year rule as many others are. There are some disadvantages, but there are also some clear advantages.

A two-year limitation makes more sense to me. It does better what the one-year rule was intended to do from both the NBA and collegiate perspectives.

Of one thing I'm certain regardless of what those two parties do.

It will not mean the demise of civilization. But the pundits will likely tell you to get under shelter because the sky is falling.

This post was written by Dan Tudor. He is the founder of Selling for Coaches, a training program that teaches advanced recruiting and communication skills to college coaches and athletic departments around the country. He will be blogging about recruiting training for Double-A Zone. Click here for more information about the company.

When I checked-in to the East coast hotel late at night recently, I could tell that it was going to be a rough stay...

The girl at the front desk looked ticked-off that I was making her give me my room key card. She told me that the outside door entrance closest to my room was locked, and she couldn't open it, which meant I had to go get my suitcases and walk back in the front door even though it was pouring rain. When I got to the room, none of the available outlets worked, nor did the main lamp on the desk. And to top it off, there were some questionable stains I noticed on the bathroom door.

After this less-than-stellar stay, what do you suppose my response to the front desk clerk when she asked me the next morning, "So how was your stay?"
You guessed it. "It was fine."

Later in the day, I began wondering why I had given such an obviously dishonest answer to the young lady who asked me the question. The answers I came up would probably be some of the same reasons you would come up if you had been in the same situation. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, nor did I want to point out things that I no longer cared about (since I was on my out). In addition, I was afraid that the clerk would become defensive, and I might risk getting my feelings hurt or, at the very least, be forced to have an uncomfortable conversation.

My apprehension about having that kind of conversation with the hotel clerk has direct applications to college coaches. Why? Because many of you are replaying that same scenario with your prospects during their campus visits on a very regular basis.
They are very polite, even if they just had a bad experience.

They are noticing the little things while they are on campus - both good and bad.
They will notice when you or your current athletes are rude, or fail to meet their expectations.

Sound scary? It is. In our work with college athletic departments around the country, it is safe to say that mistakes made during the campus visit are the top reason their prospects walk away - politely - from you and your program.

Want to prevent that from happening? Here are some strong recommendations for ensuring that your upcoming campus visits end on a high note:

HOPE FOR THE BEST, PLAN FOR THE WORST. I recommend that coaches take what I call a "defensive posture" when it comes to hosting campus visits. This means that you should look for things on your campus - your "non-working plugs and lamps" - that need to be fixed. Plan, plan, plan. Come up with an organized plan to make sure visiting athletes have an incredible experience while they are on your home turf.

TRAIN YOUR STUDENT-ATHLETES. We ask them what they would recommend changing about their school's campus visit when we conduct training and research for athletic directors and college coaches, and you can too. Get their input, and then train them to execute an effective, friendly, professional campus visit for your guests.

ASK THEM HOW THEIR STAY WAS. However, go one step further than the girl at the front desk did with me: When those teenage prospects inevitably say, "oh, it was fine" make sure you dig a little deeper. Ask them things like, "If you had to give me one part that we could make better for you the next time, what would it be?" Or, try asking "What would you say the best part of the visit was?" In either case, you'll get two important pieces of recruiting information: How to improve your campus visit the next time around, and also how they are feeling about their visit to your school.

Be bold, and ask questions that give you real information. Your prospects want to talk about their visit, but won't do it on their own. Just like me when I walked out saying "fine" after a miserable stay in a mediocre hotel...a hotel that isn't going to get my business in the future, and won't get the valuable customer feedback that would have helped them fix the problems in the future.

Don't be a coach that puts yourself in that position.

Wimbledon will finish this weekend and what better way to kick off your celebration than with the legendary Billie Jean King. I had the opportunity to sit down with King for an exclusive interview at last year's Convention where she won the NCAA's Gerald R. Ford Award.

She was vibrant, funny and very sassy, pulling lipstick from her trouser sock to reapply before the cameras started rolling. And, for all you American Wimbledon fans out there, you should know that BJK says it's pronounced WimbleDON, not WimbleTon (as we Americans are so often accustomed to pronouncing it).

The move to elevate cheerleading to a varsity sport in intercollegiate athletics has stirred up controversy from across the country for years and has been brought to the forefront yet again with a lawsuit against Quinnipiac University. Some say schools are choosing to give cheerleading varsity status in order to comply with Title IX requirements and many are skeptical the activity merits the elevated status.

The debate revolves around a central disagreement: can cheerleading truly be defined as a sport?

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) is responsible for reviewing emerging sports, and refers to a sport as "an institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus another team or individuals within a collegiate competition structure. Furthermore, sport includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within a defined competitive season(s); and standardized rules with rating/scoring systems ratified by official regulatory agencies and governing bodies."

The traditional image of a cheerleading squad is the group of young women on the sidelines of a sporting event--traditionally a male sporting event--supporting the athletes that are competing and its "spirit squad" roots continue to define the female-dominated activity.

While at the college level schools have begun to differentiate between a "cheer squad" and a "spirit squad," at the youth level the two terms tend to be synonymous. In this context, that cheerleading is an activity taken on to do no more than support your local team as vocal booster, what would keep similar spirit groups from demanding varsity status?

School bands hold practices and often travel for inter-band competition. As do color guard teams. Can a mascot or trumpet player be considered an athlete?

I present the most elementary and literal argument: the verb form of cheerleading. When asking a cheerleader what sport they play, their response would have to be, "I cheer." Can "cheering" be a competitive sport? Ask a swimmer the same question, "I swim." Much more obvious.

But if intercollegiate athletics, and specifically Title IX, is meant to expand athletic opportunities to females, why dismiss the sport that young women are interested in? Research proves that young females are choosing cheerleading.

According to the annual participation survey of the National Federation of State High School Associations, competitive cheering is one of the top 10 girls' sports in this country. In 2002-03, 4,644 schools reported having competitive cheering squads, with 111,191 participants. It ranks 10th in terms of number of schools participating, and ninth in terms of the number of participants.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, an institution that granted cheerleading varsity status in 2005-06, the cheerleading squad is granted scholarships and athletic department support services while being held to the academic policies of the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

According to the athletics Web site, the Terrapins' squad competed in nine organized tournaments this year, winning all but the National Cheerleaders Association Nationals, at which they earned second. They boast a roster of 36 athletes and four coaches, all of which are female.

The men's cross country team at Maryland only competed in eight races, one less than the competitive cheering squad.

Are we holding these women to unfair guidelines? Do you think that cheerleading should be considered a varsity sport?

Is there a place for cheering in competitive intercollegiate athletics? Do you think that a young girl participating in cheerleading will reap the same fitness, social and emotional benefits as a girl participating in more traditional sports?

Why support cheerleading financially when most of the Olympic sports are becoming extinct in intercollegiate athletics? Wouldn't we rather produce Olympians at the collegiate level?

Does fighting solve anything? Nope. I learned that lesson long ago.

Fighting is ridiculous at any level, but it's particularly pathetic when it involves parents and sports.

A couple weeks ago a New Jersey youth baseball coach (in a police sponsored league) was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for head-butting a rival coach after a game.

According to the Star Ledger, the alleged attack took place during the traditional, post-game hand-shakes between the teams, a symbolic expression that connotes good will and sportsmanship. (Obviously somebody didn't get the memo.)

"Basically they had words, and this guy just head-butts (the Westfield coach) in the face," Capt. Cliff Auchter of the Westfield police told the newspaper.

I'm tired of reading stories about overzealous parents and coaches getting so caught up in the outcome of the game they forget what's really important.

Youth sports shouldn't be about winning, and it certainly isn't about the parents. A summer recreation league is about participation, having fun and learning the fundamentals of the sport.

What kind of example are parents setting for their kids when they're throwing haymakers after a game?

Just because parents act like fools at sporting events doesn't give kids a free pass to join them.

A brawl between two high school softball teams Monday night in Colorado Springs had to be broken up by police. The Denver Post reported, police had to be summoned to break up a fight involving more than 30 people, some armed with bats.

The fight started after a player was hit by a pitch and charged the mound. Of course it did. What else are you suppose to do when you get hit by a pitch ... walk to first base?

The softball game was cancelled, and both teams will likely to be reprimanded.

I hope the teams will look back at the brouhaha and realize fighting wasn't the answer, and it certainly didn't solve anything.

Take a look at this headline from the UK's Daily Mail: Babe, set and match: Why looks count for more than talent when Wimbledon decides which girls will play on Centre Court.

This has to be a mistake, right? I mean, it's 2009.

Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs 36 years ago, proving that women have the power to attract attention for their skills, not something as shallow as their looks. We are the generation that witnessed the Williams sisters pummel the ball with as much (and sometimes more) ferocity as the men.

Isn't babe ogling a little passé? Shouldn't women be appreciated for their tremendous tennis talent and not their short skirts?

Apparently not, according the Daily Mail.

The paper reports that a spokesman for the All England Club (the venue which hosts the event) admits "physical attractiveness is taken into consideration" when determining who plays at Centre Court and what players are relegated to the other courts.

"Good looks are a factor," Spokesman Johnny Perkins told the paper.

For its part, a BBC source, which broadcasts the matches, said: "It's the Wimbledon play committee, not us who decides on the order of play. But, obviously it's advantageous to us if there are good-looking women players on Centre Court...Our preference would always be a Brit or a babe as this always delivers high viewing figures."

Of course, any woman that makes it to Wimbledon is tremendously talented. But, when you have Victoria Azarenka seeded 8th and Sorana Cirstea seeded 28th at Centre Court while second seed Serena Williams and Roberta Vinci are simultaneously playing on Court 2, priorities seem a bit skewed.

Are viewers really that stupid? It seems the BBC is doing their home audience a disservice by assuming they enjoy watching women play simply for prurient reasons.
Female athletes have always struggled to be validated for their skills and not viewed as sex objects. But, perhaps more than most sports, tennis seems particularly prone this type of sexualizing.

Take for example, Frank Deford's recent NPR commentary where he defends a female tennis players' right to make noise on the court. Is it free speech and expression Deford values?

Umm...I wouldn't say that:

"I always thought the best grunter of all was a Romanian player named Virginia Ruzici of the 1970s whose shriek reminded one and all, vicariously, of ecstasy," says the almost giddy Deford. He then goes on to say, "Give me a good grunt on the tennis court any day...Listen, I may not remember much about the sounds of sport of 30 years ago, but the sensual cries of the long-forgotten Virginia Ruzici still sound like music to my ears."

One word: Ew.

Idealist I may be, but I think it's high time the world of sport (especially broadcast media) start embracing women for the fierce competitors they are--not the sex objects TV hopes will bring in ratings.

This weekend the world watched as the United States took on Brazil in the finals of the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Even after defeating Spain last week, who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time, the US entered the game as the underdogs with everything to gain.

On the world stage, US interest in soccer has always been far below the norm. After the media's buzz around the defeat of Spain, many thought a Confederations Cup Championship could spark enough interest domestically to bring the international sport to the forefront.

But by losing to Brazil, 3-2, after entering halftime with a 2-0 lead, the US may have lost more than just a Championship title.

As one New York Times writer put it, "Nice try, good effort. For the rest of us, it's back to baseball until next summer's run to the World Cup." He went on to say, "instead of talking about a great triumph, we're back to talking about what United States soccer needs to break through at home."

Others are more realistic about what the Championship meant to the game's popularity. D.C. United's Ben Olsen, who played for the U.S. team in the 2006 World Cup, told the Washington Times about his ideas about the future of soccer in the US.

"I've been around long enough to know soccer in this country," Olsen said. "The popularity of soccer isn't going to be changed by one game or one win or a series of wins. It's a process. We're getting there. We're making progress, making strides. If we win the Confederations Cup, is D.C. United going to get 45,000 next week? Probably not. But for those of us in the soccer community, this is a great next step."

Some point to a lack of interest among the youth and flaws in youth programs as reason soccer doesn't attract our country's most elite athletes. Without these athletes, US teams will continue to underachieve and struggle internationally.

Sasho Cirovski, the coach of Maryland's NCAA champion men's soccer team, told the Washington Times "We have a uniquely different setup from the rest of the world in terms of how our youth is organized." He continued, "I think we're getting better athletes ... but we still have a long way to go. I think it takes a long time to build a culture of soccer. It's evolutionary. But this game is proof we can play with the big boys and that the American developmental system is working."

Still others think the effects the US team's fairy-tale run had on fan interest in the US has been immediate and tangible, despite losing in the finals.

"There is a huge demand for World Cup tickets, already 93000 have been sold and the response since [the victory against Spain] has been incredible," 2010 Local Organizing Committee media officer Jermaine Craig told the Daily Dispatch.

"There's phenomenal excitement from the United States," he added.

Have you noticed a change in public opinion in light of last week's games?

Did you grow up as a soccer fan? Did you tune into ESPN's broadcast of the game yesterday?

Do you think soccer has a place in the United States among our other major sports?

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the graduation of the NCAA Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females. The year-long program is designed to prepare diverse leaders for senior-level positions in athletics administration and by doing so, address one of the most critical inequalities in intercollegiate athletics.

Of the 331 athletics directors in Division I, there are 44 minority men and 8 women. In Division II, where there are 291 athletics directors there are 36 minority men and 10 women.

The numbers in Division III, the NCAA's largest division, are even more striking. Of the 444 athletics directors only 13 minority men and 5 women represented.
Those numbers are not nearly high enough.

The Institute is proof that there are accomplished minority men and women who possess the skills to succeed in these top positions.

So, why does there remain such a dearth of minority representation?

I had the opportunity to speak to some of yesterday's graduates when they were in town several months ago for a training weekend. When I talked with them about the uses of new media, I found them to be both engaged and forward-thinking and given their accomplishments to date, that's no surprise.

Applicants for the Institute must have at least three years of experience in athletics administration or transferrable experiences. They must also express a demonstrated commitment to develop professionally as administrators within the field of sports.

The result of this selective process produces a class of accomplished young minority leaders ready and able to take on the challenges of a senior athletics administration.
The program's success comes from its commitment to both training and networking.

Bonds forged during the four professional development sessions and week-long intensive workshop, give the Institute participants a community that they can turn to and rely upon as they continue down their professional paths.

These are bright individuals that will make a positive and lasting impact on our college campuses across the country. All they need is the opportunity to advance and the support to succeed.

If we are to take seriously the need to diversify college athletics, programs like the Institute are a critical step, but they can only go so far. As an Association, we must commit ourselves to look beyond the traditional hiring paradigm and realize that we will all be better off when we embrace diverse perspectives--especially in decision-making roles.

LSU won its sixth national Title last night, capping a three-game series against Texas 11-4. The Tigers led 4-0 in the first inning thanks to a 3-run homerun by Jared Mitchell who was voted the CWS Most Outstanding Player. Texas evened the game, but a double by LSU's Mikie Mahtook began a 5-run sixth. The Longhorns never recovered.

Next year marks the final College World Series in Rosenblatt stadium. We thought it would be fun to look back over some memories from the last 10 years of CWS baseball.

What are your favorite memories from the College World Series?

Yesterday we celebrated the 37th anniversary of the adoption of Title IX. As I worked on a timeline detailing the history of the legislation, I was struck by how recent the struggle for equality has been.

And, the debate continues. Just last week, a California court issued a ruling related to Title IX that could have lasting implications for universities around the country.

Traditionally, judges have ruled that a school is compliant with Title IX if the proportion of female participation comes within five percent of the representative population of the school. So, in the past, if a school's population was 50 percent female and 50 percent male, the university would be seen as compliant if just 45 percent of its athletes were female.

But, the ruling between the UC Davis and three female student-athletes, requires that the university come within 1.5 percent of proportionality. If it stands, the change could have a lasting impact on universities around the country.

"It is a boost in the momentum toward the real goal of equality of opportunity, and not a goal of approximate equality, but real equality," Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, told the New York Times.

UC Davis has 10 years to meet these new requirements.

"UC Davis has a solid history of commitment to its female athletes and coaches and to expanding opportunities for women in competitive sports," Greg Warzecka, UC Davis athletics director, said in a press release.

"The time frames set out in the settlement maximize the potential to add varsity opportunities for women in the future. We are continually trying to maintain our compliance efforts to give women athletes the very best access to intercollegiate athletics competition possible."

What impact do you think the UC Davis ruling will have on the future composition of intercollegiate athletics?

Today is the 37th anniversary of the ground-breaking legislation that changed the face of intercollegiate athletics and ushered an era of opportunity for women in higher education. Check out our interactive timeline, detailing the high points over the lifetime of this often controversial law.

For the 35th anniversary, we profiled men and women from all walks of life, asking them the simple question: "What does Title IX mean to you?" Watch these compelling and emotional videos, which include softball legend Dr. Dot Richardson and Title IX pioneer Christine Grant.

Adrian Fenty, mayor of the District of Columbia and avid triathlete, officially proclaimed Friday to be the city's Olympic Day and spent it cheering on elementary school children enrolled in Achieve Kids Triathlon. The Washington-based non-profit runs a summer camp that uses professionally trained coaches and equipment to train about 75 campers between the ages of nine and 14 in triathlon competition for six weeks free of charge.

At the end of the program campers compete in a youth triathlon that includes a 100-meter swim, 5K bike ride and 3K run. By eliminating enrollment costs, the camp exposes children to triathlons who otherwise may never had an opportunity to compete in the expensive sport.

Unlike many organized team sports, adults are more likely to compete in triathlons than younger athletes. Last year about half of USA Triathlon's 107,000 members were between the ages 30-49. Triathlons can be a sport that young people use to remain in shape and compete in at a competitive level throughout their lives.

While I was growing up, it seemed that kids were pressured to choose one sport and the multi-sport athlete was becoming less common. Kids practiced a single sport year-round and played on elite teams in hopes of perfecting the game and earning a college scholarship.

A multi-sport athlete in a Division I program is a rare find these days as UCLA's Darius Savage is one of the few. In ESPN U's article about Savage they cite sport specialization as a major cause for the disappearance of multi-sport starts.

The move towards triathlons for young people will instead make kids well-rounded athletes with the ability to succeed in several different sports. Competing in triathlons arguably gives an athlete a diverse level of fitness by combining swimming, running and biking training techniques rather than overtraining one area or one body part.

Do you think this variety will cause the multi-sport athlete to make a resurgence at the collegiate level? Do you think sport benefits from having athletes that excel in several different sports?

I've noticed triathlons to be a growing trend these days. More colleges have begun adding club triathlon teams and the Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (NECTC) boasts an impressive 18-school membership from around the northeast. Fifty-four complete male teams, 40 complete female teams and over 70 incomplete teams competed at this year's USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships.

Why are triathlons appealing? What impact will programs like Achieve Kids Triathlon have on the popularity of the sport? Do you think it's a good idea to promote triathlons to young athletes?

While I may not have been a 300 lb. lineman in college, reading Sports Illustrated's recent article about nutrition and body weight composition for student-athletes after college felt like a page out of my own diary.

As a Division I softball player my training regimen was based on heavy weights, low repetition, short sprints and very little endurance training. If you are unfamiliar with weightlifting, this type of training makes you bulky, for lack of a better word.

To give you a visual, I was a five-foot-four-inch female front squatting just under 200 lbs. and bench pressing around 145 lbs.

While I wasn't always excited about having strangers tell me I had "shoulders of a warrior," or feel my biceps and ask if I was a professional body builder--all while wearing my cutest sun dress--it was part of my quest to excel at the sport I love and I embraced my body image as that of a dedicated athlete.

I was excited to shed a few inches and put my weight training days behind me after I hung up my cleats and no longer had a batting average to worry about.

Unfortunately, my first trip to the gym was largely spent wandering around unsure where to start. I tried to take note of what exercises "normal" women my age were doing, but I kept reverting back to what was familiar: power squats and cleans.

Eating habits are an entirely different issue. I took a course in nutrition and attended team sessions with a nutritionist once a year so the issue was not what I was eating, but how much.

The dining hall's "all-you-can-eat" meal style after a long practice presented me with a problem in portion control that I still struggle with. I've learned I no longer need sports drinks during my workouts, and water paired with my meals increases my feeling of satisfaction.

But even with the best intentions, I could not ease in to a post-college workout regimen to fit my needs.

My solution? Organized classes at the gym.

The classes offered me direction and appealed to my competitive nature. It's easy to work hard when you're trying to work harder than the person next to you.

The Sports Illustrated article focuses on the extreme case of football players but this is a problem that affects athletes from all sports, all backgrounds and of all shapes and sizes. I think it's important to realize that as athletes the term "in shape" morphs throughout our lives and that we must be willing to adjust. In intercollegiate athletics we have to be aware of this struggle and prepare our student-athletes for it ... just as we prepare them to adjust to life in the workplace.

I would love to hear any similar stories or experiences you have.

Did you or someone you know have any of the same struggles?

Is it a different experience for males and females? Are there certain ways you made your transition easier? Are there any pitfalls that I didn't touch upon?

What about the transition socially into life as a retired athlete?

Recently the New York Times reported on the gender gap in urban youth sports and, specifically, how young girls' participation rates in urban centers are far behind that of girls from suburban communities.

According to a Women's Sports Foundation study, only 59% of urban girls between third and fifth grade compete in organized sport compared to 81% of girls in suburban areas. While female participation in sport increased nationwide by more than 20% between 1995-96 and 2004-05, the underrepresentation of the young urban female population is a disheartening reality.

The Times' article points to lack of funding, opportunity and support at home as causes for this underserved population, but also suggests hope for what's to come. Organizations around Boston including the Boston Girls' Sports and Physical Activity Project, Sports4Kids, GoGirlGo! and MetroLacrosse have taken active roles in finding new ways to encourage girl's participation and shake up what are considered to be traditional gender roles.

While these articles address what opportunities young girls and their families are missing out on, it fails to note what athletics is missing as a result of their absence.

Our cities represent the most culturally diverse areas of our country. By failing to serve the female youth of our diverse epicenters, we fail to expose the rest of the female athlete population to the educational, social and cultural benefits of competing in a diverse field.

Many point to expanding the types of athletics made readily available to young females as a solution. The Times cites Boys and Girls Clubs offering "girls-only play times," elementary and middle schools offering fitness clubs and high schools adding double Dutch as varsity squads.

• Do you think creating a "girl-friendly" athletic environment is a step in the right direction?
• Is getting a young girl interested in any kind of fitness enough to urge her participation throughout her adult life?
• Or is this reinforcing the archaic idea that only certain activities are meant for female participation?

Last year we wrote a lot about Brandon Jennings' decision to forgo college and play in Europe. Of course, college isn't for everyone, but Jennings--who averaged 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17 minutes for Lottomatica Virtus Roma--might be rethinking his decision to grab a paycheck over a year in school.

"It was a humbling experience for me," Jennings told the New York Times. "If I would have went to college, I would have played 30 minutes and I would have got whatever I wanted, but I had to go earn my spot."

Jennings is still projected to go high in the draft, but his star shines a bit less brightly than it did when he joined the pros in Europe.

Since Jennings announced his decision to play in Italy, other promising athletes have followed suit, including Jeremy Tyler, who will miss his senior year of high school to play abroad. Learning from her male counterparts, Epiphanny Prince announced this week she would leave her Rutgers diploma behind to play ball in Europe.

Perhaps most troubling, Las Vegas baseball standout Bryce Harper has elected to leave high school two years early, get his GED and play at a junior college simply to qualify a year earlier for the draft.

I don't begrudge an athlete for using his or her skills to make a buck. What makes me uneasy, is the fact that these decisions are taken on with relatively little foresight.

What happens when Harper's .626 batting average dips when facing tougher pitchers? What do these athletes have to fall back on if they blow their ACL?

True, elite athletes like Jennings would likely be a one-and-done if they entered college, but isn't one year of school better than none?

I'm also very troubled by the precedent these decisions create. Few players are as talented as Harper, Jennings, Tyler and Prince. Will these stories encourage less-talented, young athletes to follow down a path on which they can't succeed?

At the end of the day, it's all about profit and the promise of millions. The problem is, payoffs are never guaranteed.

Earlier this week, the SportsBusiness Journal ranked the top revenue-generating college sports programs in the country. Texas ($120.3 million), Ohio State ($118 million) and Florida ($106 million) led the pack, which included four SEC and four Big Ten schools.

It's natural to see these colossal incomes and assume that athletics is an enormous economic boon for a university. The fact remains, however, that in most cases expenses at these top-tier programs exceed revenue, which means many athletics departments operate in the red--and the recession hasn't helped.

Ohio State, for example, has been one of the only Division I programs able to perennially turn a profit. This year Athletics Director Gene Smith anticipates a shortfall.

In 2006 the Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics noted that spending in athletics was outpacing the university as a whole and that growth was not sustainable over the long term. The findings prompted NCAA President Myles Brand to call for greater fiscal responsibility.

Universities have been striving to meet Brand's challenge by sharing best practices and participating in the NCAA's dash board project, a financial system that allows institutional leaders to compare anonymously their athletics spending with similar programs. Still, perhaps one of the greatest catalysts for change has been the on-going global recession.

Universities and conferences are cutting back on travel and other expenses like printed media guides. But, it remains to be seen if these changes will be enough to offset mounting expenses.

A recent study commissioned by the NCAA found that institutions are spending more on athletics as a function of the entire university budget (an average of 6 percent of an institution's overall spending is on athletics), up almost a full percentage point from comparable data from 2003. The study also found increased support for the existence of an "arms race," with data showing that a $1 increase in the average athletics operating expenditures by other schools in a conference can prompt a school to increase its own athletics spending by about 60 cents.

According to the Centre Daily Times, reported expenses for 2007-08, at Penn State, for example, were more than $79.2 million--an increase of nearly $8 million from the previous year and a 69 percent increase from the 2002-03 fiscal year. Despite record revenue and positive cash flow, the university is setting a good example by being prudent and cutting back.

While it is certainly good news to see universities generating significant revenue, fans should put those numbers in perspective and understand that, in most cases, athletics programs are lucky to break even.

The growth of intercollegiate lacrosse, a sport previously considered a regional phenomenon, has been steady, yet inconspicuous. That is until last week, when Princeton's Head Coach Bill Tierney announced he was leaving the Tigers after 22 years to accept a head coaching position at the University of Denver.

Tierney lead Princeton to 14 Ivy League titles and six NCAA National Championships. He'll leave to head a team in its 20th season, with only 10 in Division I. The Pioneers finished their year with a 7-8 record and saw three student athletes dismissed from the program.

So, why did Tierney decide to make the move? What impact will his decision have on the future growth of the sport and what does he hope to accomplish in Denver?

Find out in my exclusive interview with the lacrosse legend:

The growth of a sport is ultimately dependent upon its viewership and public interest. I want to hear from you:

• Has lacrosse gained popularity in your area?


• Have you ever watched a lacrosse game in person?


• Do you know anyone who plays lacrosse?


• Do you think lacrosse can become a major revenue sport and compete with others like basketball, football or baseball?

Judging by the in-depth coverage of this coaching change lacrosse's rise to power has finally reached the forefront.

Here are some links following Tierney's decision:

The New York Times sits down with Coach Tierney.

Lacrosse Magazine compares Tierney to another lacrosse legend.

Check out the Wall Street Journal's piece on the expansion of lacrosse to the west coast.

Concordia University Wisconsin, a Division III school, announced it will add men's and women's lacrosse. It's reported that 17 colleges added women's lacrosse while 12 added men's programs during the 2007-08 school year.

With much of the discussion of the sports strength coming from the youth interest, the Daily Item, a newspaper out of Pennsylvania, did an article about the emergence of lacrosse among its high schools and middle schools.

This post was written by Director of the NCAA News Gary Brown.

Do you have what it takes to be an athletics administrator with integrity? Test your ethics by taking the following exam. Answer "Fair" or "Foul" to the following seven "situations," then grade yourself against the answers provided at the end.

Situation 1: You're an AD and your baseball team is playing a conference game at home before a crowd of about 70 fans, parents and students. In the sixth inning, the first-base ump calls your runner out when it is apparent that he was safe. Your manager goes out to argue, then asks the first-base ump to confer with the plate umpire. They do and the call stands. Now your manager is really angry and actually wants to get booted. He says to the first-base ump: "This is bull----!" loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear and does indeed get ejected. Your team trailed at the time but rallies to win the game.

___ Fair
The call was clearly wrong and the manager had every right to argue in that manner. He was trying to fire up his team (which he in fact did) and besides, managers being ejected is part of the baseball culture.

___ Foul
Regardless of whether the umpire made a mistake, the manager has to understand that there are consequences to his actions. The AD should discipline the manager, explaining that his actions don't encourage fans to return for future games.

Situation 2: You're a pep band director at a small school and your musicians travel to your arch rival for a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. You notice that when your players miss a free-throw attempt, the home-team pep band shouts out in unison, "How embarrassing!" much to the enjoyment of the home crowd. Your players don't seem bothered by this but you wonder whether you should approach the home-team band director and discuss whether that's out of line.

___ Fair
You have a right to approach your peer. While it's one thing for the student section to organize cheers, the band is supposed to inspire the crowd by music, not with chants.

___ Foul
Get real. The band is just having a little fun, and they're not even saying anything derisive or profane. The home-team band director would laugh in your face if you say you are bothered by this tongue-in-cheek behavior.

Situation 3: You're an assistant AD in charge of game management for your men's and women's basketball programs and your AD has mentioned that he'd like to promote you to an associate AD when the time is right. It has been a tradition at the men's game for the student section to chant "Da daaa da - Hey! You Suck! ... Da daaa da - Hey! You Suck!" during timeouts. It makes you a little uneasy, but nobody has complained about it. Then you notice that the student section at your women's games - while not as large as at the men's games - starts doing the same cheer. You pay particular attention to this trend, since your women's crowd is more family oriented. You wonder if you should approach your AD about it.

___ Fair
Yes, you should go to the AD - you probably should have done that much earlier than this. If you're bothered by it, odds are others are bothered, too. The students can support their team without deriding the opponents or their fans.

___ Foul
"You suck" isn't even offensive, so no wonder people haven't complained. It's part of this generation's language. You'd be making a mountain out of mole hill if you try to regulate this.

Situation 4: You're a producer for ESPN covering a Division I women's basketball game, and a star player makes a great block and drops an "F" bomb in a show of uncontrolled enthusiasm. It's not only audible, but lip-readers would have no trouble understanding her as well. You wonder whether to show a replay.

___ Fair
You absolutely show a replay, but you don't have the sound on. This was a great play - not calling attention to it would be circumspect.

___ Foul
Even though the guys in the truck want to show the play again, you call it off.

Situation 5: You're a soccer official working the sidelines during a heated NCAA tournament match, and you notice two reserves on the home team bench really giving it to an opponent on the field who has colored his hair green to match his school color. After one of the comments, the green-haired player spits in the duo's direction, causing them to step up their derision and begin making homophobic remarks. You wonder whether you should ask the home-team's assistant coach to tell them to stop.

___ Fair
Yes you should. Soccer already has a reputation for out-of-line behavior, and there's no place in any game for that kind of abuse.

___ Foul
I agree that the behavior is out of line, but bench decorum is not your jurisdiction. That is a team/institution matter. You're there to call the game - stay out of the personal stuff.

Situation 6: You're a college president facing campus-wide budget cuts. Your men's basketball program has steadily improved over time to the point that the team regularly competes for the conference championship. Your coach wants to upgrade the arena by replacing the bleachers with chair-back seating. While expensive, the coach believes it will encourage a broader fan base and thus energize the facility for home games and help the team take that "next step" competitively. However, to afford the upgrade, you may have to eliminate your men's and women's swimming program, which has not been competitive recently.

___ Fair
Investing in a sport that has a likelihood of a healthy return (because of increased fan interest and, in turn, revenue) is a wise choice. While no one wants to cut programs, there's a chance that the funds raised by the basketball upgrade will result in reinstating the swim program with more funding in the future.

___ Foul
Cutting sports should be a last-resort decision. The point of sponsoring athletics is to provide broad-based opportunities and not focus on one or two sports just because of the revenue potential.

Situation 7: You're an associate AD in charge of compliance and you also serve as the athletics department's senior woman administrator. Your institution's men's basketball program has struggled lately but has just hired a young, dynamic male coach who has had success at the high school level but has never led a college program. He's also good friends with the AD. Within the first two weeks, you become aware that he's committed several infractions that you know would be classified as secondary. You also know that the AD knows about the infractions but he hasn't talked with you about them yet.

___ Fair
You confront the AD about the infractions because you don't want to put yourself in jeopardy, and you want to teach the coach all that's necessary to run a clean program.

___ Foul
You let it go, figuring that secondary violations aren't penalized anyway, so why risk a good relationship with a guy who make take your program to new heights. Besides, if the AD doesn't care, why should you?

Answers: (1) Foul; (2) Fair; (3) Fair; (4) Foul; (5) Fair; (6) Foul; (7) Fair.
7 correct answers: You're hired!
6 correct answers: There's hope for you.
5 correct answers: Better go to some NACDA and NACWAA seminars.
4 correct answers: No promotion for you.
3 or fewer: You're fired!

In October ESPN the Magazine will put its first "Body Issue" on the stands, featuring naked amateur, professional and Olympic athletes. According to USA Today, the magazine plans to feature current athletes while also exploring the history of the athletic form.

Sure, ESPN's plans are an obvious ploy to create buzz and take ad dollars away from Sports Illustrated. But, unlike SI's swimsuit issue, which has used sexualized images to sell copies for years, ESPN's mission seems to be (at least on the surface) a bit higher minded.

Editor in chief Gary Belsky assured USA Today that the issue would strive to be tasteful. They plan to"use equipment and pads and bats and goalposts and soccer nets and pucks and helmets to obscure body parts that we still can't quite go to in a magazine that's part of a company owned by (Disney)," he told the paper.

On one hand, I recognize that the naked athletic form can be both inspirational and beautiful. Last year Powerade produced an ad campaign of naked British Olympians that, in my mind, tastefully explored nudity and athleticism.

When it comes to ESPN, however, I worry that the magazine may struggle to balance sensationalism and art. If the editors avoid the temptation to cast athletes as sex objects, they could produce an interesting statement on the limits of the human body. Can ESPN eschew come-hither looks and cheesy poses?

Still, esthetics and tastes are highly subjective and some may find that an all-nude issue crosses the lines of decency.

What do you think? Is it OK to for athletes to pose nude? What if student-athletes are featured?

Personally, I look forward to seeing what ESPN produces. If the results are closer to Discobolus and not Playboy, I may even pick up an issue.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine announced this week revised recommendations on the treatment of athletes exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. In a move that has stirred controversy in the medical and sport community around the world, the journal wrote that athletes 18 years or younger should not be permitted to continue play if they complain of concussion-like symptoms.

Critics of the recommendation argue that the new guidelines will only worsen the problem. Athletes eager to stay in the game, they say, will simply stop reporting symptoms, putting them at even greater risk for serious and potentially life-threatening complications.

"More kids will be hurt seriously because of this, either by players not admitting they might have gotten a concussion or coaches encouraging them not to be up front about their symptoms, whether subtly or overtly," Dr. Bob Sallis, a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and a longtime sideline doctor in Southern California, told the New York Times.

Personally, I think journal's recommendations are spot-on. Why the heck wouldn't a coach take an athlete out of the game if he thought the athlete might have a concussion?

As obvious as the recommendations sound, however, I believe they will be ineffective until we address the larger culture issues at hand. Athletes are encouraged from an early age to "suck it up" when they're injured. This type of macho attitude can exacerbate injuries and put student-athletes at risk.

Why do athletes play through pain, even when it can cause more harm in the future? Do they feel a burden to show up for their team? Is it pride?

Have you ever played through an injury, even when you knew it wasn't a good idea?

How can we solve this problem and encourage responsible reactions to injuries by both athletes and coaches?

Check out other posts on this topic:
More than just a headache - Oct 27, 2008

Football causes lasting head trauma - Jan 29, 2009

Coaches should learn to recognize signs of traumatic brain injuries - Apr 02, 2009