Not disagreeing with you, but I think it is a red herring.

Maybe it's a Lenten thing, but probably it's merely a "watching you" list. :cool:

And those numbers are effectively bogus since a player who transfers elsewhere and graduades counts as not graduating for the original school. Likewise for players leaving for the NBA. And you must also consider how many non-athelete student meet the same standards. 1 transfer a year and you're down 20-30% as most schools only have 3-5 recruits in any given year.


A few pieces of info from www.collegeboard.com

• The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) tracked the progress of first-time students seeking a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and attending a four-year institution full time in the 2000-2001 school year. It found that only 36 percent of students graduate from college within four years. And only 57.5 percent of undergraduates who began that year had attained a degree or certificate six years later, in 2007.

Note that the 57.5% probably includes students who transfered as having graduated if then finished elsewhere (it doesn't say one way or the other but the artical was about the overall time to finish school).

• According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 60 percent of undergraduates attend more than one institution.

Basically, few students graduate in 4 or 5 years any more. It can be done, but the average is approaching 6.

Camron, the numbers might not be perfect, but there's no denying that universities make millions off the backs of these "student-athletes" in football and basketball especially, while giving them virtually nothing. How many of these young scholars graduate with crap degrees in "General Studies" and the like? Puh-lease.

IMO, the solution is to create a proper measure of graduation rates that takes into account transfers and "real degree" programs -- so that a degree from Michigan, say, held by a football player is worth what an ordinary student gets.

If a program doesn't get its athletes real degrees, then that school needs to hire them as employees. They're proto-pros anyway in many cases, why not recognize that fact? They should get contracts like the pros do, and since they're working for a university, they'll also get a tuition benefit in case they want to take classes.

This approach would also eliminate a lot of the sleaze in college hoops. Once the kids are employees, the pressure to get them "gifts" from "boosters" goes away. They can afford their own bling and sweet rides and whatnot. And if a kid wants to go to class, he can.

There's more benefits -- I've been thinking about this since I was at a famous football school many years ago -- but you get the idea.

Only about 3 hrs left to sign up
 

Looks like Striped Squirrel wants last place as that bracket remains unfilled. The rest of youse guys better hurry if you want to get in.

Duh!
 

Too late for me......went to submit and those darn Feds at the IT Dept here blocked my submission! *******s! :(

After many hours of contemplation, incense burning, (along with other medicinal burning items), and Pink Floyd playing in the background, I have now completed the winning bracket.

I wish I could remember where I left it, so I submited another one instead. :p

Send me your picks & I can do a bracket for you. Use the PM feature.

Done. Thanks Gapper.

Sent it to your Hotmail Acct as AIM is blocked here too......son of a b*&^h! ;)

Has not shown up yet. Check PM on this site. Just sent a msg to you.

I'm in again this year (first post in a long time!) - FourOh302 1.

Regards,
Andrew

Check to make sure I got it right.

Who cares if it's right!?

I appreciate your time and effort.

Well, having that 16 seed upset special will put you way out in front if it comes to pass.:D

Haha - No one likes Duke anyway! :D