The Collge Sports Project -FAQ's

What does participation in the College Sports Project mean?

On a philosophical level, participation represents a commitment to two core principles: (1) athletes are first and foremost students; they should be “representative” of all other students, particularly in terms of academic outcomes and opportunities for engagement in campus activities; and (2 intercollegiate athletic programs must be properly aligned with colleges’ and universities’ primary missions; this requires the integration of coaches and athletic administrators into the mainstream of campus educational life, as well as the cultivation of greater faculty understanding of the potential educational values of athletic programs.

Aren’t most problems in college sports exclusive to the Division I level?

Some might understandably ask why any group would devote time and energy trying to improve upon a reasonably healthy Division III athletic model? However, from quantitative and qualitative studies, survey results, and literally hundreds of interviews with Division III presidents, faculty, athletic administrators, coaches, and student-athletes, five prominent themes emerge regarding a potentially growing separation between college athletics and educational goals: (1) the amount of time Division III athletes spend on their sports—and therefore away from other pursuits, both academic and otherwise—has increased dramatically; (2) there is increased pressure on Division III coaches to demonstrate competitive success and lead their teams to NCAA championship play; (3) the pursuit of national championships has taken on added, and in some cases all consuming significance; (4) the intensity and specialization of sports from the youth through high school levels has increased dramatically with adverse affects on athletes and coaches. (5) the keep up with the Jones’ mentality that serves to permeate competitive athletics at all levels leads to misplaced priorities.

Can’t any problems we have be addressed through the NCAA legislative process?

We applaud the progress that the NCAA membership has made in recent years in supporting legislation intended to strike a healthy balance between athletics, academics, and student life, but while rules and regulations serve as an important and necessary foundation, history teaches us that legislation alone will not assure a state of equilibrium that might most benefit our students.

Is the College Sports Project sanctioned by the NCAA?

While the CSP is not officially sanctioned by the NCAA, our efforts continue to benefit from ongoing collaboration with the Association, and especially from the active participation and advice of Dan Dutcher, Vice President of Division III. The NCAA leadership has been extraordinarily supportive of our efforts to communicate with the Division III membership by providing opportunities to hold well-attended meetings at the past two NCAA conventions, and have communicated their strong support of the integration and representativeness concepts.

How were schools chosen for College Sports Project membership? Is this an “elite school” organization?

In 2003-04 every Division III school was provided with information about the CSP and invited to participate in the project. Over 130 schools nationwide—with broad representation from the standpoints of academic selectivity, endowment, enrollment, and athletic profile—self selected to take part in the project. CSP is not a membership organization.

Are there annual dues or fees associated with participation in the College Sports Project?

While institutions are not expected to commit financial resources related to their participation in CSP, we acknowledge that the collection of data for the representativeness database will come at some manpower cost. In addition, schools that have chosen to participate in Integration Institutes have incurred relatively minor costs. We note here that NCAA grant funds may be made available for activities of this nature.

What measures is the College Sports Project taking to promote integration?

The CSP has developed and helped conduct Integration Institutes—programs that provide an opportunity for presidents, academic and athletic administrators, faculty, and coaches to share ideas and objectives about a Division III sports model that celebrates the primacy of educational goals. Institutes typically bring together eight to ten college/university “teams” with the primary purposes being to: (1) introduce or reacquaint participants with key integration principles and best practices; (2) engage participants in viewing the integration process in all its various components and principles; (3) develop and share integration strategies (best practices); and (4) build a community of like-minded institutions that share common goals regarding the appropriate place and mission of athletics in higher education.

How about representativeness?

The CSP has created a database (based at Northwestern University) that will enable participating colleges and universities to quantify student athletes’ academic outcomes in terms of their “representativeness” and to track institutional progress over time. The CSP database will not be used to “police” institutional behavior, but rather to provide information that the president and other campus leaders may find helpful in meeting institutional goals. This is not only an important tool for uncovering shortcomings and monitoring trends, but also for documenting and communicating successes. Participating institutions may choose to use this data for only internal purposes, or to share information with conference colleagues and/or mutually respected subgroups.

What is the future of the College Sports Project beyond the five-year commitment of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation?

This decision will be up to the participating institutions. If the integration initiatives and the reports of the data analysis center prove valuable and worth sustaining, the CSP might evolve into a legal entity responsive to the goals and interests of individual colleges and universities, and capable of seeking further funding. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the NCAA or another organization interested in strengthening the relationship between athletics and educational values might be interested in assuming leadership. It is also important to note that the future costs of maintaining the data center will depend greatly on the frequency of data collection and analysis.