The Battalion 1
Tuesday • June I
wmmmmmmm
■
Are college athletics past the point of no retur
i
□ illegal recruiting and pay
ments have placed several
schools on NCAA probation.
By Nick Georgandis
The Battalion
On June 12, in big, bold letters across the cover
of Sports Illustrated were the words, “Why the
University of Miami should drop football.”
Despite the excitement surrounding the NBA
and NHL playoffs, SI chose to run a seven-page,
open letter to Miami President Edward T. Foote II,
requesting that he do away with a program
fraught with infractions against the NCAA and
the laws of the United States.
The NCAA is currently investigating allega
tions by former Hurricane players that rapper
Luther Campbell and other Miami boosters paid
players for scoring touchdowns and delivering
“vicious hits.”
A year ago, SI ran a similar cover featuring a
Florida State Seminole helmet. The cover read
“Tainted Title,” and referred to FSU’s national
football championship of 1993, and how it may
have been won with ineligible players.
What is wrong with college athletics today?
“A big problem is that the NCAA needs to
come up with a way to punish people involved
in the problems,” said Texas A&M Director
of Athletic Development John David Crow.
“The way it’s going now is that the players re
sponsible are already gone when the school gets
punished, and that denies a lot of good kids the
Pigskin Problems: a brief history
1986: Southern Methodist University's football team receives a one-year "death
penalty" from the NCAA for repeated recruiting violations. The school self-
imposes an additional year onto the punishment.
1988: Texas A&M Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Jackie Sherrill
resigns in the midst of an NCAA probe. A&M is put on probation by the NCAA
and the team cannot be on television or go to a bowl game in 1989.
1990-92: A total of nine players work for A&M booster Warren Gilbert at
various summer jobs, earning a total of $27,800. Of that total, $17,855 was
unearned money.
1993: Despite finishing with a perfect record, the University of Auburn is not
considered for the national championship because it is on probation.
1994: Sports Illustrated runs an expose on the 1993 National Champion Florida State
Seminoles titled "Tainted Title" The article includes allegations of several Seminole
players looting an area-Foot Locker of thousands of dollars of merchandise.
1995: Sports Illustrated runs an open letter to the president of the University of
Miami, asking him to disband the school's largely successful football program
based on its inability to follow NCAA and other regulations.
right opportunities.”
Recruiting violations and illegal player pay
ments have become the norm in nearly every con
ference in the NCAA.
Texas A&M’s football team has been on proba
tion twice since 1988.
The second time, a multi-player scandal that
saw suspensions of starters Greg Hill and Jessie
Cox — along with three other players — resulted
in A&M’s inability to represent the SWC in the
1994 Cotton Bowl, despite having the best record
in the league.
During a span of two years. Hill, Cox and seven
other A&M players received a total of $17,855 of
unearned wages at summer jobs provided by for
mer A&M booster Warren Gilbert.
During the spring of 1994, Cox transferred to
Texas Southern University and Hill declared his
eligibilty for the NFL draft.
Auburn missed out on a chance for a national
championship in 1993 because its team could
not appear on television or in a bowl game due
to probation.
The trend of college mishaps quickly has made
its way into the media, especially the movies.
Films such as Blue Chips and The Program have
shown audiences the inside of illegal doings on
campus in the past few years.
Blue Chips, which was released in 1993 and fea
tured NBA players Anfernee Hardaway and
Shaquille O’Neal, was the story of a basketball
coach — played by Nick Nolte — giving in to his
boosters’ requests to buy players.
“The story is probably timelier today than it
was when Ron (Shelton) first wrote it,” Blue Chips
director William Friedkin said in the movie’s
press release. “The competition for those athletes
has become much sharper
as the price has gone up with
television revenues and
product endorsements being
so lucrative.”
Both movies showcased a
popular view of many student-
athletes who take illegal pay
ments for playing. The argu
ment is that since scholarship
athletes are not allowed to
have other jobs, the universi
ties should pay them for what
they do.
“ ... And the NC-double Ass
holes won’t let us have jobs.
They ought to be paying us
anyway,” said Alvin Mack, a
linebacker played by Duane
Davis in The Program.
The Southwest Conference is
one of the most well-known
Coming to the Dixie Theater near you!
It’s in downtown Bryan on Main St.
Thursday, June 22, 1995
Doors & bar open at 8. Show starts at 9:30.
$5 cover (18 and up)
It’s improv like you’ve never seen.
(Especially if you’ve never seen improv.)
All students, faculty and staff
ace Invited to
attend a public bearing
to discuss
an increase of
the General Use Fee
Wednesday, June 21, 1995
3:30-5:30 p.m.
MSC Room 292
Office of the President, Texas A&M University
■
r
PROFITABLE 345-0569 The Battalion Classified Advertising
NUMBER! y
This cartoon first ran in The Battalion in early 1 994,
shortly after running back Greg Hill left school to en
ter the NFL draft. Hill was one of the player
in the 1993 Warren Gilbert-summer jobsa'
leagues when it comes to probation. In 1986,
Southern Methodist University was sentenced to a
one-year “death penalty” by the NCAA, in which
the athletic program could not field a football
team. SMU officials tacked on another year to the
probation, and the Mustangs have yet to regain
their previous form as a conference powerhouse.
"I don't think there is anything that
can be done about it except to re
cruit the right type of players."
—John David Crow
Texas A&M Director of Athletic Development
Within a three-year period, A&M Head Foot
ball Coach Jackie Sherrill and Head Basketball
Coach Kermit Davis resigned due to NCAA in
vestigations. Current coaches R.C. Slocum and
Tony Barone began their tenures at A&M under
NCAA probation.
One suggestion to quell illegalrt
payments is to pay players a flat rate
performance.
A&M’s Director of Intercollegiate oi
Compliance Tedi Ellison said that*:
plan has its advantages, it would also
many schools.
“There has certainly been a lot of talk
plan,” Ellison said. “However some athlet
ments don’t have that kind of money, air
get into the issue of paying better players
how much each school can pay its players'
Crow said recruiting players not only
athletic ability but also by their person:
be instrumental in solving the problem
lege athletics.
“There will be exceptions, kids tMt
money,” Crow said. “I don’t think thereis:
that can be done about it except tore:
right type of players. I think that mostci
day, especially the ones in this area ares'
do a good job of that.”
PITS UPDATES * PITS UPDATES PITS UPDATES PTTS UPM
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*** Parking Update ***
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Several campus parking lots are scheduled for surface repairs this sue
mer. To facilitate this process the parking lots involved will need to I
cleared of all parking for approximately one week (3-5 days) forbas
repairs, and again at a later date for one week to resurface and repaint,!
weather permits. Below is a list and schedule for the parking are!
involved:
Wednesday, June 21
*The parking spaces on the street
between Teague and PA 55 will
remain available.
(Relocate to PA51, shuttle service provided)
PA 55
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PA 54 & 88
Monday, June 26
(Relocate to PA 51, shuttle service provided)
CO
CL.
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PA 51
Friday, June 29
(Relocate to PA 50)
PA 59
CD
CL-
Saturday, June 30
(Relocate to PA 48)
PA 50
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Wednesday, July 5
(Relocate to other commuter (blue)
parking areas, suggeste areas are PA
89 behind tennis courts, PA 48 south of
Kyle Field, PA 62 on Wellborn Rd.
next to Kyle Field)
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PA 46
CO
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Monday, July 17
(This is during Fireman’s Training
Schools, relocate to PA 48, PA 47,
PA 91, PA 62, PA 69)
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Please note that this information may be subject to change. When you
arrive on campus and your assigned parking area is closed, please park
in the alternate parking area indicated above.
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