Faced with the unenviable task of taking over right after former Athletics Director Rick Greenspan’s resignation and the basketball recruiting fiasco involving The-Head-Coach-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Kelvin Sampson), IU Athletics Director Fred Glass immediately made the department’s integrity his No. 1 priority.
His attempt was to build the program’s image into something enviable and cutting-edge, just like the Apple mogul did back in the 1980s.
It worked.
Since Glass’ first year in 2009, he’s overseen 15 Big Ten conference championships and three of his coaches have won National Coach of the Year honors.
Last fall, 94 student athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten awards.
That’s a school record.
He’s consistently adjusted to the ever-changing landscape of college athletics without losing his connection to the students and the community. He’s done it by providing an earnest voice for the department and improving facilities campus-wide.
So to say he’s been doing a good job would be an understatement, especially when you consider most athletic directors across the country communicate with lawyer-speak and are about as transparent and accessible as the director of the CIA.
Fast forward to June 27, 2014.
The IU Athletics’ official website announced a “Student-Athlete Bill of Rights” drafted by Glass himself, the first of its kind in the country.
It lays out a number of assurances to prospective, current and past student athletes, promising a four-year commitment regardless of injury or performance, top quality facilities and staff and academic support.
It also outlines an open-door policy that allows student athletes to voice concerns and offer suggestions.
There are a couple of things I love about this bill of rights, the first of which being that it’s a huge breath of fresh air.
The NCAA and its member schools have developed a bit of a reputation for shady dealings and a cold, impersonal stance on the athletes themselves in recent years, as sanctions for schools such as Southern California and North Carolina have piled up.
This bill of rights removes all the questions and misconceptions about what a student athlete should expect from his or her school.
It lays out clearly and concisely what exactly an athletic scholarship covers, how it relates to the student’s academics and what opportunities it can present.
I personally found it pretty shocking that this document was the first of its kind in the country.
It speaks volumes about Glass that he’s innovative enough to put Indiana at the forefront of this new policy of openness before other schools from across the nation.
And honestly, that should’ve been common nationwide 10 years ago.
It sets the table to deal with the changes the NCAA is facing right now as litigation begins to loosen the Iron Sheik-like Camel Clutch the Association currently has over student athletes and schools alike.
And in the end, it’s going to help bring even more top-tier talent to Bloomington.
Recruiting is all about selling the program to parents as well as athletes, and positioning the school at the forefront of student athletes’ rights will set it apart from the rest by a wide margin.
There’s no way that doesn’t help.
Oh, and the free iPads don’t hurt.
To me, it’s amazing just to be a part of a school that’s put itself at the forefront of an issue as big as this.
And as a student, it’s hard not to be proud of that.
aknorth@indiana.edu
