Amid a national debate about paying college athletes, the NCAA likes to tout its often-overlooked Student Assistance Fund, whose goal is to provide direct financial support to players. The fund--which draws from the association's multibillion-dollar media-rights deals--will distribute some $75-million this year to Division I athletes. The money…

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is no stranger to criticism. This article reports that during a meeting of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, some higher-education officials questioned the NCAA's handling of a CBS fantasy football league, announced over the summer, that would use college athletes' names. Many…

The long-simmering debate over the commercialization of college sports reached a boiling point recently when CBS, the NCAA's key corporate partner, announced that it was creating a fantasy football league that uses college athletes' names. Not everyone however, is quite so enthusiastic. Some observers see it as part of a continuing assault on the…

More than 130 faculty members and athletics administrators from some of the country's largest universities gathered in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss the relationship between faculty members and intercollegiate athletics at what organizers said was the first national forum dedicated to the topic. During a series of panel discussions,…

Educational institutions have adopted athletics programs to promote character building. Sports help people feel comfortable in their skins and provide unique opportunities to develop qualities such as cooperation, perseverance, and the ability to cope with fear. But the arena can be a hothouse for more primal feelings that emerge in competition.…

The National Junior College Athletic Association has voted in favor of strengthening semester-based academic standards for the eligibility of student athletes, reversing an earlier move to soften requirements. (MSE)

While only five colleges sponsor all-student wheelchair basketball teams, and budgets and public awareness are very limited, the sport's proponents believe it is doing a service for both its athletes and the general public. (MSE)

In its annual convention, the National Collegiate Athletic Association approved details of an organizational restructuring, granted athletes the right to work during the academic year, and offered fifth-year eligibility to students unable to compete in their freshman year. More trust was experienced by delegates than in previous years. Students…

Many college athletes have been involved in crimes this year, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. The incidents are more likely than before to be made public. Coaches and administrators disagree about disciplinary policy, but some institutions are responding with educational programs for athletes. (MSE)

An Education Department study shows that high school coursework is a more significant barrier to student participation in college sports than is a controversial National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requirement for higher standardized test scores. The stricter NCAA standard, to take effect in August 1996, has been criticized for…

Temple University's model drug education and abuse prevention program for students and staff includes education and counseling throughout the year as well as random drug testing. The program is costly but successful, and has the support of athletes, administration, and the coaching staff. (MSE)

A national survey indicates nearly 18 percent of all athletes admitted to big-time college and university sports programs in 1989 were given special admissions treatment. There is widespread disagreement about policies and standards for admitting athletes. Issues include appropriate college preparation, selective admission in the disciplines, and…

A recent study shows that half of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A football players are black, compared with 18% of coaches. Few blacks are head coaches. Coaches and administrators offer two suggestions for increasing numbers of black coaches: encouraging presidents and athletics directors to extend search lists, and…

Incidents of point-shaving and placing and accepting bets are evidence that professional gamblers are influencing college sports and campus life. Because of student athletes' competitive nature, they may be more likely to engage in gambling. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and individual colleges are examining and addressing this…

At least 600 athletes failing to meet minimum academic standards to compete in college sports as freshmen are enrolled in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions. The second annual NCAA survey shows that this year, as last, a high percentage are Black. (MSE)