Athletics plan under BFC review

The time has come for the Bloomington Faculty Council to make a decision that could change Big Ten athletics eligibility rules and game coverage. The proposal stems from an article written by IU President Myles Brand in the March issue of NCAA news. It calls for lesser exposure for college sports and the reinforcement of academics on college campuses.\nIf passed, the resolution will be be enforced by IU administration and staff. \nThe BFC will hold its meeting today in Ballantine Hall. The meeting is open to the public. \nBFC President Robert Eno said the BFC will review the resolution and additional items in today's meeting, but is not sure how the proposal will go over with members.\n"I have not talked to anyone about it. I can't predict what they are going to do," Eno said.\nThe adoption of a resolution on athletics has been a long process, starting with Brand's article and a speech he gave at the National Press Club in March. The article then took form as a reform movement -- the PAC-10 adopted a similar athletics reform and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the academic equivalent of the Big Ten, also discussed the reform at its most recent meeting.\nThe proposal outlines three key issues regarding intercollegiate athletics including:\n• The importance of intercollegiate athletics within the academic community, but making the point that many of the athletic events within the University have been too time-consuming for student athletes.\n• The competitiveness of athletics and the entertainment industry strains the university's financial resources and takes the public and student focus away from academics and places it on athletics.\n• The CIC and the PAC-10's urging to "the presidents, faculty athletics committees and faculty conference representatives of Big-10 conference schools and of other institutions engaged in intercollegiate athletics, to join in a concerted commitment to bring these forces under control."\nLooking at the proposal to have long term effects, men's basketball coach Mike Davis said he agrees with the reform. He said limiting of games and commercialization will help athletes and other teams to focus on academics first.\n"I love basketball, it's my job, but I think that sometimes we put too big of an emphasis on it and it takes away from the concentration of the other more important things that athletes have to do," Davis said.\nThe terms of the proposal begins with the statement that athletes are students first and athletes second, enforcing the importance of academics within student-athlete lives. The proposal calls for athletes' academic support systems to fully comply with university-wide programs that all students fall under.\nThe second aspect of the proposal calls for a reduction of inappropriate commercialization.\nExamples include limiting the times and days when games are played, the number of breaks in games for commercials, the type of advertising in stadiums and the logos worn by players and coaches. \nThe final point of the proposal states that the "arms race" of intercollegiate athletics must be scaled back. The proposal includes that "while competitive sports must aim at winning, the success of an athletics program is measured by the value it adds to college athletes and campuses, not by championships."\nEligibility regulations are also included in the resolution as an addendum. \nThe eligibility reform regulates athletes whose academic profiles are not up to standard to be ineligible for freshman year of play. According to the proposal, this will ensure athletes' college stay is worthwhile in and out of the classroom. The reform also calls for minimal conflict between academic schedules and athletic games.