The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs intercollegiate sports under the premise of amateurism. That premise is incompatible with the idea of paying players. But "amateur" in no way means "nonprofit." The NCAA signed a 14-year, $10.8 billion contract last year with CBS and Turner Sports to air March Madness, the men's Division…

Perhaps because keeping score is an intrinsic part of competitive sports, the NCAA has tracked diversity by the numbers, counting how many minorities and women work as coaches and athletic directors, particularly at schools in big-time Division I. With the organization taking that singular approach, member colleges and universities overall have…

Rondell Gardner, a senior at Roosevelt Career and Technical High School--a school located in the heart of a city that's on life support--has a way out of Gary, Indiana. To him, it's an orange leather ball. Ancilla College (Indiana) has offered a scholarship; Indiana University Northwest has him on its radar; and Northern Michigan has expressed an…

Is playing big-time college sports an extracurricular activity or a job? Two law professors at Michigan State University, Robert and Amy McCormick, think it is definitely a job for football and basketball players on athletic scholarships at Division I schools. The married couple has added a new dimension to the long debate over paying athletes by…

For eight decades, students at Southeast Missouri State University, a mid-sized college located on the banks of the Mississippi River in rural, conservative Cape Girardeau, had proudly rooted for its sports teams, the Indians. The old-timers said the name was adopted in the mid-1920s to honor the legacy of American Indians and their warrior…

When fans of intercollegiate basketball see the month of March approach, they know it's time for the near-marathon round of March Madness when the best of the nation's college basketball teams square off in a battle to the finish for the NCAA Division I championship. It's the month when basketball powerhouses seek to reaffirm their status and…

This article presents an interview with NCAA President Mark Emmert. President of the NCAA since October 2010, Dr. Mark Emmert is constantly engaged in a delicate balancing act, as he deals with the competing priorities and agendas of college presidents, coaches, athletic directors, boosters, sports agents, and the media, while trying to look out…

"Diverse: Issues In Higher Education" established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduate students of color who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, "Diverse" invites every college and…

This article features the male and female finalists of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars 2009. The male finalists are: (1) Sam Bradford (University of Oklahoma); (2) Jamaal Parker (University of Georgia); (3) Masumi Turnbull (University of Kentucky); and (4) Brian Robiskie (The Ohio State University). The female finalists are: (1) Shardea Croes…

"Diverse: Issues In Higher Education" established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduate students of color who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, they invite every college and…

This article features Oklahoma State University (OSU) soccer midfielder Yolanda Odenyo. Odenyo grew up in Sweden the daughter of a Swedish mother and Kenyan father. Each year, she would spend her summer months in either Kenya or Zaire. She believes her extensive travels gave her a global perspective and a strong appreciation for human rights and…

The Laurinburg Institute, the oldest historically Black prep school in the country, is a shell of its former self these days. Although the gym was condemned in the late 1990s after moisture caused part of the roof to fall in, the school still maintains its prestige in prep hoops. But a recent NCAA ruling is threatening to end that record. Last…

Collegiate sports, and athletic scholarships in particular, have served as portals to higher education for generations of African-Americans who may not have otherwise attended college. That's not the case for Latinos. Despite their growing presence in professional sports, Hispanics remain underrepresented in collegiate athletics. Scholars and…

A student's performance on the basketball court undeniably brings money into the coffers of many schools. At the same time, too many of the athletes, particularly Black student-athletes, are underperforming academically and are at risk of losing their NCAA eligibility and, more importantly, failing in college overall. According to "Keeping Score…

Texas A&M University's Laboratory for Diversity in Sport and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have partnered to honor those athletic programs that are best championing diversity. A total of 162 Diversity in Athletics Awards are being given in eight categories, including overall excellence in diversity. The NCAA granted Texas…