Athletics

MSU Admins, Alum say Final Four Appearance Could Boost Interest in Its Academics | The Grand Rapids Press

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:15:00 -0400

Of the Sweet Sixteen teams, only Villanova and Purdue universities bested MSU in graduation rates of its basketball players, according to the New America Foundation think tank. "That's a point of pride. And that pride is easily transmitted to the rest ...

Academic Bowl Championship Series | ESPN/Tuesday Morning Quarterback

Communications — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:57:00 -0500

Lindsey Luebchow of the New America Foundation asks that question here. She concludes that if academics were factored into big-college football, ...

UM Football Players: Not as Brainy as Gators or Noles | Miami New Times

Communications — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:14:00 -0500

Now here's a little salt for those wounds: Both the Noles and the Gators made Higher Ed Watch's top 25 list of teams based on academic achievement, ...

Higher Ed Watch's Academic Bowl Championship Series

Communications — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:42:00 -0500

While the on-field performance of the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators has led the two squads to college football's championship game, both schools are well behind other elite teams when it comes to graduating and retaining their student-athletes, according to rankings released yesterday by the New America Foundation's Higher Ed Watch blog.

Academic March Madness

Ron Tang — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:36:00 -0400

If you've watched any of the televised men's college basketball tournament this year, you've been bombarded by NCAA commercials that declare: "There are 380,000 NCAA student athletes... and just about every one of them will go pro in something other than sports."

It's an uplifting tagline, but there's a catch. In order to "go pro in something other than sports," that athlete needs a college degree. And far too many male athletes in top-tier Division I basketball programs never graduate.

The teams that played in the Sweet 16 this year have some of the worst academic records in the country, particularly the top-seeded teams such as UCLA, where, on average, only 29% of men with basketball scholarships graduate within six years of enrolling. At the University of Memphis, which UCLA plays today in the Final Four, that number is 30%. Very few of those are dropping out to enter the NBA draft.

If Sweet 16 victories were based on the graduation rates tracked by the federal government -- the percentage of scholarship players who enrolled from 1997 to 2000 and graduated within six years -- who would come out on top?

The results are not the Final Four matchups happening in San Antonio. In fact, only one of the top seeds -- the University of North Carolina, with a 60% graduation rate -- would make this academic Final Four.

The University of Kansas and Memphis wouldn't have made it even to the Elite Eight. UCLA would have been knocked out by Xavier University's 67% graduation rate, meaning Ben Howland's Bruins wouldn't be headed to the Final Four for the third straight year. Instead, Xavier or Stanford University would be headed to the championship game, where they would play Davidson College.

Even more disturbing are the graduation rates of African American players at many of these elite basketball schools. At UCLA, for example, the graduation rate for black players is only 20%, in comparison to 100% for white players. These coaches and universities have a responsibility to ensure that all of their athletes are given the tools to graduate.

Amid the spectacle that is March Madness, it's hard to keep this other kind of scoreboard in mind. But we need to applaud those teams that support the development of true student athletes, and rethink our glorification of those that simply use their players for tournament success.

Lindsey Luebchow in Cleveland Plain Dealer | DC Group Ranks NCAA Teams by Players' Graduation Rates

Communications — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:28:00 -0400

Cleveland Plain Dealer | Washington Group Ranks NCAA Teams by Players' Graduation Rates

Forget wins and losses. Disregard the strength of schedule. Pay no attention to margins of victory.

Call it March madness, but what if the teams in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament were ranked by diplomas rather than dunks?

That's a rite the Washington, D.C.-based New America Foundation celebrates each spring. Earlier this week, the nonprofit public policy institute released its own tournament bracket that has to do more with mastering Joyce than making jump shots.

The foundation, an advocate for greater equity in school funding and college financial aid, uses the big-time tournament to underscore a big-time problem: A majority of players leave college with neither a professional career nor a four-year degree. In all, 55 percent of Division I players do not graduate. About 1 percent of them make it to the NBA.

"Amid the flashy, commercialized spectacle that is March Madness, few think about the players who aren't going to be able to go pro in anything, basketball or otherwise," said policy analyst Lindsey Luebchow, who created the bracket. . .

To view the New America Foundation's Academic Sweet 16 bracket, go to Higher Ed… more

Lindsey Luebchow on WTOP Radio in DC | Top B-Ball Shools Have Poor Grad Rates

Communications — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:11:00 -0400

WTOP Radio in DC | Top B-Ball Shools Have Poor Grad Rates

New America Foundation Education Policy Analyst Lindsey Luebchow discussed the Annual Academic Sweet Sixteen bracket results with WTOP Radio in DC. Also, Luebchow's comments on the NCAA teams' academic ranking appeared on CBS Radio's nationally broadcast morning show (3/27/08). Following these hits, the Los Angeles Times published Luebchow's op-ed "Academic March Madness."

Lindsey Luebchow writes for New America's Ed Money Watch and Higher Ed Watch blogs.

Minority Recruitment: Athletics Success, Admissions Failure

Education Policy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:14:00 -0500

Diversity and minority recruitment are hot button words in most four year college admissions offices. There are congratulations when enrollment demographics show greater racial diversity, and there is consternation when minority numbers drop.

But are college admissions office recruitment efforts working? Colleges will, in a knee-jerk fashion, say: yes, look at our racial and ethnic percentages! College access for minorities is a reality here! But how much is minority recruitment in admissions offices really contributing to the… more

Who Will be Fired First: Al Lord or Isiah Thomas?

Education Policy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:09:00 -0500

They may share little more in common than the name Lord, but Isiah Lord Thomas (his given name), the much-maligned general manager and coach of the New York Knicks, and Al Lord, the oft-criticized Chief Executive Officer and former Chairman of Sallie Mae, are sitting on seats hot enough to make Mount St. Helen's seem cool. With that in mind, Higher Ed Watch takes a look at the two leaders to assess which Lord will be shown the… more

College Football PR 101: Academic Bonuses

Education Policy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:48:00 -0500

When Louisiana State University coach Les Miles was carried off the field after winning the National Championship game last night, his smile likely reflected more than the pure joy of winning. Miles had already garnered $400,000 in football bonuses for making it to the game. After winning the title, his contract states that his total salary will be adjusted to at least the third-highest salary in all of Division I football— which will boost it by about $1.15… more