Arizona officials seeking academic reform

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Associated Press


TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona's regents are expected to ask the NCAA to impose tougher academic standards for athletes Thursday and to ask the state's universities for more data about classroom performance.

The regents said they plan to suggest recommendations that could significantly change college sports.

Some changes that regents will suggest include reducing practice and play time, increasing coaching salaries and excluding teams from conference championships if they don't graduate at least 50 percent of their players by 2007.

"A student should not come to college just to get a diploma," said University of Arizona football coach John Mackovic. "A student should come to college to get an education."

The regents, who will meet on the Yuma campus of Northern Arizona University, used the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics as a springboard last fall when they started examining college athletics.

Last year, the commission, a group of university and athletics officials, made recommendations on college sports, including banning schools with low athlete graduation rates from postseason play.

Arizona regents said they have no intention of doing anything that would force Arizona's two largest universities from the Pacific-10, but they were already unhappy with escalating coaches' pay before that report sounded a call for athletic reform.

"Every student-athlete is important, and it's important we focus on improvements that will allow every student-athlete to get a degree," Tucson regent Jack Jewett said.

After six months, the regents are still in fact-finding mode, although Jewett said the board could take action next month.

"We understand all the board wants to do is have the system get better," said UA Athletic Director Jim Livengood. "I think our program has shown success in the classroom and in the field."

Regent Fred Boice of Tucson said Arizona can't get too far ahead of the national curve or students may not continue to come.

"It is certainly a huge issue, and it's got to be dealt with as the whole nation. You can't have conferences or individual schools doing things," Boice said. "If you're going to be competitive, you've got to do what the market dictates."

Bob Huggins? Arizona football? Help me Rick, I'm drawin a blank here! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />

Have you seen the Graduation Rates at Cinn??? There are none. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad-flaming.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

Ohhh! Thanks for clarifying that!

Huggins <img border="0" alt="[Laughing]" title="" src="graemlins/laughing.gif" /> , IMO the biggest joke in college basketball. Wow, his team can win 25+ games a season, but can he graduate players? Can he get his team into the Sweet 16 come tourney time?