WASHINGTON, D.C., April 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For immediate release
press release
In the field, but not in class:
Many star athletes never graduated from college
More than half of the men’s scholarship basketball players
He will not graduate in six years
Allen Sack National Symposium It will unite athletes, coaches and teachers
To identify reform strategies to improve graduation rates among college athletes
Washington, DC – Each year, thousands of elite athletes across the United States receive scholarships for higher education as they pursue their dream of playing in a professional sports league. However, the next 2023 Allen Sack National Symposium on April 18, which he hosted Drake Collection Education Fund (TDGEF) in Washington, D.C., and via live broadcast, sheds light on an overlooked reality: Pressure on athletic — not academic — excellence has led to the emergence of Poor graduation rates among collegiate athletes In revenue sports, and It disproportionately affects black[1] and other athletes of color.
“Academic promise is being broken,” he says. Dr. Donna LopianoDrake Group Board Member. “It has become a daily struggle for these young athletes who are told not to sign up for classes that interfere with team meetings and training. They spend so much time training that they don’t get a proper education.” Drake Group Mission – Guarantee The promise of college athletics is fulfilled For all stakeholders – it is only achieved if athletes are protected from educational and economic exploitation; discrimination based on sex, race, and sex determination; and physical and mental abuse, says Dr. Lopiano.
As organizations prioritize winning games over education, 52% Of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball players, 38% To all Division I football players, and 38% Of all Division I women’s basketball players who received a full scholarship and were required to be full-time students did not graduate, according to TDGEF analyzes of NCAA data and federal data. A disproportionate number of these athletes are minorities. In Division I football, the distribution is 37% White, 47% Black, 12% Other Race or Ethnicities, and 3% Unknown. A similar collegiate division appears in men’s and women’s basketball as well.
“It got to the point where I lost who I was,” he recalls Brendan Cole, athletic director at The Field School and featured symposium speaker, was formerly captain of the Hampton University football team. “Coaches’ livelihoods depend on winning games, not on graduating students,” he says.
Additional research on NCAA academic metrics by Drake’s group turns up even more shocking facts. Drake’s group compared average federal graduation rates (FGR) for four-year student body and four-year men’s basketball athletes in 63 universities who made athletic scholarships and reached out to Final Four Field In 2019. On the plus side, FGR men’s basketball at seven universities (Belmont, Colgate, Liberty, Louisville, Montana, North Dakota State, and Virginia Commonwealth) matching or exceeding FGR student body. But for the rest 56 Final Four Universities In 2019, the FGR Men’s Basketball Tournament was less—often — from the FGR student body.
- in 19 universities, one-third or less of graduated men’s basketball players; FGR ranged from 7% at Murray State to 33% at Baylor, Old Dominion, and Virginia Tech.
- in four Universities – Marquette, Maryland, Oregon, and Virginia Tech – AL percentage difference Between the FGR student body and the FGR men’s basketball was 50 or higher. In Oregon, for example, 72% of its students graduate four years, but only 15% of men’s basketball players graduate four years.
The NCAA Division I institution is born Approximately $16 billion in annual revenue for their athletic programs, but it spends just 18.2% on scholarships — and 1% on medical treatment and benefits for young athletes. The meager funding for medical care for collegiate athletes is Unintentional injustice for student-athletes who come in disproportionately Minority or low-income backgrounds. They face a much higher risk of serious injury than other students, but because universities, the NCAA, and sponsors do not help with student health coverage costs, the burdens of surgery and other medical care fall solely on the players and their families.
However, almost all NCAA football and basketball players are recruited with the promise of a college degree and a better chance at becoming a professional athlete. In reality, less than 4% of football and basketball players eligible to enroll in NCAA Division I are She is selected every year in the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts. Since most college athletes do not get into a professional league, those who leave college without graduating are at a disadvantage in the workplace.
“If we promise a college scholarship in return for athletic talent, we must provide a real education,” he said. Mary Willinghamseminar speaker and former clinical instructor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who authored it Cheating: the UNC scandal, the education of athletes, and the future of Big-Time College Sports (2015).
“The magic of being competitive as a college athlete obscures an important truth,” he adds. Mark Hyman, another featured speaker and director of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. “The pressures and demands have always been great,” he says. “It’s an important time to talk about the academic challenges for college athletes and how their universities should support them.”
The upcoming symposium, moderated by nationally awarded journalists, will focus on NCAA Division I athletes and athletes. A panel of experts–including coaches, faculty, athletes, legislators, and sports policymakers–will address threatened sports programs, as well as institutions that compound poor academic performance by placing athletes in less challenging classes and disciplines. The proposed reforms target changes in academic oversight and support; reallocating athletics resources; and strengthening commitments to higher education by ensuring scholarship is supported through graduation and providing academic support through the Foundation’s academic units rather than the athletic department.
Among the speakers and honorees are members of the United States Senate Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) f Corey Booker (D-NJ)—both of whom worked to advance the Bill of Rights for college players; Founding Partner of Drake Group Allen Sack; President of Howard University Wayne Frederick; Former professional player in the Ohio State and United Soccer League Morris Claret; Previous award winner The New York Times Columnist and current journalist for ESPN William Roden; Head coach of women’s basketball at the University of South Carolina Dawn Staley; Director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida Richard Lapcheck; Award winning United States TodaNational sports columnist Christine Brennan; Director of Swimming and Tennis at Howard University Nicholas Askew; LEAD1 President/CEO The Honorable Tom McMillenand General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Council Jennifer Abruzzoamong others.
Open to the public, you can learn more about the April 18 symposium—held at the National Press Club from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST, followed by networking opportunities—by pre-registering at https://www.thedrakegroupeducationfund. org / 2023-sack-national-symposium /.
A live broadcast of the program will also be available here.
Donations can be made to the Drake Group Education Fund at https://give.cornerstone.cc/drakegroupeducationfund+donations.
For press inquiries, please contact Lisa Delpy Neruti, PhD, at [email protected].
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