Freshmen may be ruled ineligible for competition
By Rita Heimes
■ The Daily Iowan
U. of Iowa
When U. of Iowa President Hunter
Rawlings announced last year that the
university would declare its freshman
athletes ineligible to compete in inter
collegiate athletics, even if other schools
in the Big Ten conference or the NCAA
did not, the outcry was immense.
Coaches, athletic directors and fans
feared that the university would be
unable to land top high school recruits if
Iowa were the only school to enforce the
measure.
Proponents of ineligibility say it would
allow freshman student athletes to
adjust to their first year of college and
concentrate on academics without the
Athletics
Continued from page 16
“I think that anytime you bring in
quality teams or schools in the confer
ence you do nothing but strengthen
your media interest and television con
tracts,” Alford said.
The networks look at potential audi
ence when hammering out contracts,
thus huge conferences with glamorous
teams can secure big money deals for
their members.
Florida State U., an independent with
a strong football program and alumni
following, was a prize in the conference
war and was thought to be leaning
toward the SEC.
The Seminoles announced intentions
to sign with the Atlantic Coast
Conference, though, leaving the SEC
with South Carolina as its final mem
ber to balance the addition of the
Razor backs.
Following the Seminoles’ move,
Florida's other major independent,
Miami, announced plans to join the Big
East conference in everything except
baseball this fall.
Several events besides the CFA situ
ation precipitated this summer’s flurry
of activity on conference expansion,
most notably the acceptance of
Pennsylvania State U. into the power
ful Big Ten and the flight of the U. of
Notre Dame from the CFA's proposed
television package.
Ihe Dig len, which dominates mia
western athletics and academics,
stretched its boundaries eastward in
search of a larger television market in
addition to gaming a quality institution
and athletic department, conference
officials said.
The Fighting Irish arranged their
own deal with NBC last winter, selling
the rights for their home games from
1991 to 1995 for $38 million.
CFA officials had to scramble to
renegotiate a contract for its other 63
members.
The move by Notre Dame in all like
lihood will not be duplicated by other
independents, said Ole Miss Chancellor
Gerald Turner, a major player in the
SEC expansion decision.
Notre Dame’s contract did force insti
tutions to re-evaluate their positions,
though the possibility of growth is noth
ing new.
“About every 10 years we try to review
the situation and see if there’s a need
for expansion,' Turner said. “In 1979,
they decided not to, but this time we saw
a definite need.’
pressures of athletic competition.
“If some athletes are involved in their
sports 40 hours per week . . . they can’t
give a fair shake to academics, and they
have no chance for any other kind of uni
versity life," said Christine Grant, direc
tor of women’s athletics at Iowa
But even i f the measure passed nation
wide, some coaches and athletes would
remain opposed to freshmen ineligibility
because of the loss of a year of competi
tion it forces on the student athlete.
This argument is strongest umong
“minor" sports, also referred to as “non
revenue” or “Olympic" sports. Athletes
in these sports say that taking a year off
from competition would damage their
skill level, which generally peaks during
the college years.
See FRESHMEN, Page 23
ATHLETICS VS ACADEMICS
SAT Standoff. . . Pennsylvania State U researcher Donald E. Sheffield, who
studied 350 Penn State freshmen student athletes and 350 freshmen non-ath
letes, said that not only are SAT scores a deceptive criterion for freshman eli
gibility, but freshmen should be banned completely from Division I and II com
petition. Sheffield said he believes first-year college athletes become so
engrossed in athletics that academics become a second priority. He said SAT
scores should only be used as a college admission criterion and not a device
for determining freshman college sports eligibility, adding that many athletes
also take SAT prep courses, which can raise their scores by 100 points without
increasing their intelligence. “As long as freshmen are allowed to participate
in sports programs, they will continue to turn in a mediocre academic perfor
mance," he said. "Student athletes will invest as much time as possible to do
whatever physical training it takes to establish themselves on a team " Shorty
Stoner, Penn State’s baseball coach of nine seasons, disagreed with Sheffield’s
assertions, “Our freshmen have done very well, both academically and ath
letically,' Stoner said “If it wouldn’t have been for freshmen we would have
been in a bind" ■ Tbm Esterly, The Daily Coileffian, Pennsylvania State U.
$118 roundtrip
airfares on
Northwest Airlines.
Only for student American Express® Cardmembers.
Apply tor the American Express*
Card Then get ready to take off
In search of adventure, action or
just simply to escape
American Express and
Northwest Aidines have arranged
these extraordinary travel prtvi
leges on Northwest exclusively
for student Card members
■ CERTIFICATES VALID FOR THE
PURCHASE OF TWO $118 ROUND
trip tickets—to many of the
more than 180 cities in the 48 con
tiguous United States served by
Northwest Each certificate is
good for a six month period, and
they will arrive in four to six
weeks after you receive the Card *
■ 10% OFF ANY NORTHWEST
flight with your own personal
ized discount card, valid through
January 1991 on all Northwest and
Northwest Airiink flights (This
discount is not applicable to the
$118 student certificates and other
certificates, promotional or
special status airfares)
■ 2,500 BONUS MILES TOWARDS
free travel—when you enroll in
Northwest s 'WorldPerks* Free
Travel Program
AND NOW BECOMING A
CAR DM EMBER IS AS EASY AS
A TELEPHONE CALL
Just pick up the phone, call 1800
446 5389 and talk to us VW" 11 take
your application and Ix-gin to pro
cess it immediately (If you have
your banking information handy,
like your account number and
bank address, it will help speed
the process)
Keep in mind that our Student
Status Program provides you with
the opportunity to get the Card
without meeting our usually
stringent income requirements
And remember that as a
Card member you'll enjoy all the
exceptional benefits and personal
service you would expect from
American Express.
So pick up the phone Apply
for the Card And start packing'
JUnatentap Mm III rntHUff
TRAVEL
RELATED
SERVICES
APPLY TODAY
1-800-446-5389
NORTHWEST
AIRLINES
•Fwc is fot roundtrip travel an Northwe* Airilnes Tickets mu* be purchased within 24 hours after nuking reservations Fares are non refundable and no itinerary
c hanges may be made after purchase Seats at this fare are limited and may not always be available wtien you call Travel must originate by cerllkcate eiptranun date and
be completed within 60 days of that dare Travel may not be available between cities to which Northwest does not have published routings City fuel surcharges not
included in farr from Boston (12 VJ). Chicago (ISOCH Denver (1200) and Florida cities (|2 00) Certain hlackout dates and other restrictions may apply For complete oiler
details, call I 800 446 C 1990 American Kapress Travel Related Services Company Inc
THE AMERICAN EXPRESS* CARD FOR STUDENTS MORE THAN EVER