Two Steps Forward

Educators have long charged that the pressures of big-time college sports programs make a mockery of the scholar-athlete ideal. Last week the National Collegiate Athletic Association took two steps toward restoring that ideal. At a heated NCAA convention in Dallas, university presidents overcame a dogged goal-line stand by money-minded athletic directors and trimmed the number of days allotted to organized basketball and football activities. In addition, delegates approved a rule to help high school athletes figure out which colleges will give them the best shot at getting an education.

The second measure passed overwhelmingly under the threat of a similar federal law proposed by New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley and Maryland Representative Tom McMillen, both former pro basketball players. The rule requires schools to report annually the percentage of football-and basketball- team members who managed to graduate during the previous five years, plus these figures for other athletes and all students. Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who cites his teams' high graduation rates in recruiting, says the rule gives schools an incentive to limit practice time and put studies first.

Pro-academic forces lost a few yards on another rule entangled in racial tensions. Last year the NCAA passed Proposition 42, which would have denied any scholarships to athletes who fail to meet basic requirements, essentially: 1) a C average in eleven high school core subjects and 2) a score of 700 (on a scale of 400 to 1,600) on the SAT or 15 (on a scale of 1 to 36) on the ACT. Since disproportionate numbers of blacks fall short on these tests, Proposition 42 was widely denounced as racist. Yet instead of repealing it, as many blacks demanded, the NCAA settled for a compromise that takes effect in August. On the one hand, athletes who do not make the grade academically can receive scholarships based on need, but not on athletic prowess; on the other hand, as before, these marginal students will be barred from athletic programs as freshmen and lose one year of playing eligibility. The convention's final action will subject Division I football players to year-round testing for steroids and other drugs.