Will this time be different? The potential of MOOCs to deliver a college education to anyone—anywhere—sounds very similar to what was said about correspondence courses in the 1920s. (NPR)

“(College) credit is currently not as it should be; it’s almost a game.” A college graduate explains how he got an associate’s degree without ever stepping foot on campus. (Say Something/The Chronicle oContinue Reading »

Source: http://sportsmediaworld.com/

On May 29, 2010, University of North Carolina star defensive tackle Marvin Austin sparked an NCAA investigation into receiving improper benefits after he tweeted, “I live In club LIV so I get the tenant rate. bottles comin like its a giveaway.” On March 12, 2012—nearly two yeContinue Reading »

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan lauded the NCAA this week for raising academic standards among Division I teams in postseason play. If the standards, which begin next year, aren’t met, teams won’t compete. “There’s no better way to teach life lessons than on the playing field or on the court,” Duncan said during a conference call with reporters.

RewiContinue Reading »

According to the latest NCAA report:

A total of 14 athletics programs in the FBS reported positive net revenues for the 2009 fiscal year, which represents a decrease from the 25 reported in 2008. The gap between the “profitable” programs and the remainder continued to grow, however a bit more slowly.

The median institution lost $10 million on its sports programs in 2009, and the aContinue Reading »

Yesterday I put up a post showing the rising discrepancy between spending on athletics and academics at traditional sports powerhouses in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Matt Yglesias picked it up, rightly decrying, “our habit of combining the function of a college with the functions of a professional sports franchise.” Unfortunately, many of the commenters continue to assert, wronglContinue Reading »

The Knight Commission has a new report comparing spending on athletics and academics. In only the four year period from 2005 to 2008, the ratio between what schools spend on academics and athletics increased nearly 15 percent. In 2008, schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) spent more than six times as much per athlete as they did per student. In the Southeastern Conference (home to spoContinue Reading »

Citing improper benefits given to former star running back Reggie Bush, the NCAA this week announced that the harshest sanctions in a generation would be levied against the USC football program, including loss of scholarships, a two-year ban on post-season play, and a requirement that the entire population of North America be subjected to a “Men in Black”-style mind-wipe that will eContinue Reading »

After an opening round weekend of thrilling upsets and buzzer beaters, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament continues tomorrow evening with the 16 remaining teams battling for a spot in the Final Four. But while all of these squads have shown the ability to succeed in the postseason, many of them have failed to match this success in the classroom.

Last week, Education SeContinue Reading »

College basketball is the crown jewel of the NCAA. For three weekends in March and April, people across the country tune in to watch thrilling upsets, Cinderella stories, and big-time performances that will live in highlight reels for years to come. Unfortunately, the quality on the court is not matched by academic success off of it.

According to data released by the NCAA, the average siContinue Reading »

A friend and I were chatting during last week’s college football championship game about big-time NCAA sports teams, their profitability, and whether most athletic departments make money or not. I told him about Chad’s post from October on the NCAA’s annual report, which showed that all but 25 of the 119 schools in college football’s highest division had lost money on thContinue Reading »