| Show Reforming Athletics Why We Need Proposition 42 by Bill Brill Executive Sports Editor Roanoke Times World News T the convention in Dallas next A AT month the two most historic numbers in the annals of the intercollegiate athletics will be brought up for debate and vote 48 and 42 Some history is needed In January 1983 delegates most often faculty chairmen and college presidents adopted Proposition 48 which was to go into effect in the fall of 1986 Dismayed at distressingly low graduation graduation graduation tion rates for scholarship athletes embarrassed embarrassed embarrassed embar embar- by a plethora of scandals administrators came to the inescapable conclusion conclusion conclusion con con- that outside influences were needed or all respect for intercollegiate sports would be lost What they did was to incorporate a required required required re re- re- re core curriculum of school high-school classes 11 of them requiring a 20 grade point average with a minimum score on standardized standardized standardized stand stand- tests In order to be eligible to play playas as freshmen athletes also had to achieve a score of on the SAT or 15 on the ACT The furor that greeted the new rule was overwhelming Mostly the lawmakers were charged with overt racism because black students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents traditionally have scored lower on the tests than white students Although there was wasa a tuning fine-tuning of the legislation and a sliding scale was used the first two years Prop 48 essentially survived intact Why was Prop 48 needed in the first place To save the coaches from themselves Combined with the high cost of big time college college college col col- col- col lege football and basketball and the enormous enormous enormous enor enor- revenue rewards for successful athletic programs academic standards were consistently consistently consistently lowered to the unfortunate level where at some schools they were non exis tent For three years an uneasy alliance existed with Prop 48 While a acorn comprehensive five- five year study was not complete most athletic administrators and coaches agree that that- Prop 48 has achieved its p purpose More athletes athletes athletes ath ath- letes arrived on campus as qualified students Just as the furor appeared to be subsiding a tempest formed in January 1987 at the convention in San Francisco There in te and by a slim margin the delegates adopted In an effort to close what was perceived as one of the loopholes in Prop 48 the new rule stated that partial qualifiers those who passed either the core courses or the standardized tests but not both could not receive any academic aid The outburst after that vote was enor enor- Temple athletic director Charlie screamed at the delegates in an emotional outburst Later his outspoken basketball basketball basketball bas bas- coach John Chaney termed Prop 42 blatant racism Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson walked off the floor in protest and then sat out of the game Prop 42 was voted upon too hurriedly In eliminating the possibility that a partial qualifier could receive college academic aid it may have been just too stringent Prop 42 will face stiff challenges in the January convention convention convention con con- at Dallas The Council has recommended that it be amended so that partial qualifiers may compete with regular students for financial help That would be the proper way to go allowing athletes to compete com pete on the same terms as other students for whatever scholarship aid is available Many people will attempt to have Prop 42 killed They will make the usual arguments about discrimination and they will be wrong Once again the majority of athletic grants denied unqualified blacks will go to better- better qualified academically blacks Prop 48 has since its inception proved its critics wrong school High-school athletes athletes' have learned that ability alone wont won't get them a Division I or Division II scholarship Non- Non qualifiers can and do attend junior colleges later transferring to year four-year schools Or they may elect to play at NAIA institutions The requirements of are minimal The penalties are not extreme A student who attends the school of his choice as a Prop 48 student is ineligible as a freshman and loses that year of participation but can receive an athletic scholarship That is the route followed by Tony Rice at Notre Dame and Rumeal Robinson at Michigan stars of the current national champions champions champions cham cham- in football and basketball respectively Prop 48 works If fairly amended so will Prop 42 Di Distributed by the Co Collegiate N Network Ii i Ii i I |
