For those of you that have VQ you want to check out Doug Matthews chalk talk this week. Sorry if this has been covered, but this is the most concise summary of how the culture change has affected the program. Matthews says we need 4 things: 1. Bring the Thornton center back under the control of the AD. The Thornton center is basically command and control for tutoring the athletes. The AD has no say over how it is run, and has few avenues for receiving or giving feedback on the athletes. Apparently the coaches are helpless to help a kid that may need more academic encouragement. 2. We need easier majors for some of our athletes. Apparently, Urban Studies isn't available anymore. We need a curriculum for boderline athletes. Every other SEC school has it. 3. Reporting to the chancellor is so damaging because he is too sympathetic to the faculty senate issues. Doug recalled a time when Dickey would go directly to the president with athletes that he thought deserved admission. 4. We need an AD willing to fight for the department everyday. I'm sorry if this has already been discussed. I just thought this was a very good practical explanation of what has changed.
With all due respect Lex, this sounds like the gripes of someone who thinks it's 1980. These academic concerns are a convenient scapegoat from the obvious problem: poor coaching. We have admitted plenty of non scholars the last few years. Incidentally, schools with no academic standards have yet to pile up the National Championships we might expect. I think this is silliness. Are we Michigan standards? No. But come on. I should add some of the stuff going on is SEC mandated.
No problem. I'm just passing on what Matthews said. There is a definite disconnect between the Chancellor and the AD, and these are issues that seem to be widely endorsed by those in the know. I've wondered exactly what the issues are, and this seemed to spell them out. I can tell you that I have a relative that worked at Louisville and now at Ole Miss. I can assure that Rick Pitino never had to grovel to the chancellor over academic issues, and Hugh Freeze doesn't either. The real question is why can't we just incorporate our AD like GA and Florida have? Those are the schools we seem to be chasing academically anyway.
It's not just the SEC. Ever wondered how Georgia Tech could possibly field a football team? I personally think letting 10 or so football players glide a little on the academic side is not going to stain the university. The morale building from a winning football team can however attract better students. Whether or not Doug is 100% accurate on these issues, keep in mind he is being fed much of thsi from Fulmer. The moving of the academic goalposts are his big excuse mainly because it is the only one he has.
Of all the issues Matthews brought up, the issue of the Thornton center made the most sense to me. I've got no problem with higher standards.
Oh good grief. UT is not losing because we have suddenly become Harvard. The AD and the campus should work together, but the AD should have absolutely no CONTROL over academic matters. You'll probably find that at least half of the top 25 teams have better academics at their schools than UT. There are plenty of bullshit academic paths for athletes to take at this university.
