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SPORTSThursday 17 March 2016
Blacks playing men’s hoops, football lag behind in degrees
ERRIN HAINES WHACK In this Aug. 6, 2011, file photo, University of Alabama students receive their diplomas during the morning commencement cer-
Associated Press emony for spring and summer graduates at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Young black men playing Associated Press
basketball and football
for the country’s top col- week on graduation rates Lapchick’s report notes 11 ation rates rose 13 percent- shift in mentality from the
lege teams are graduating for black men’s basketball teams in the 2016 men’s age points in football and idea of college as a path
at lower rates than black players at NCAA Tourna- field have graduation rates 15 percentage points in to education to a pipeline
male students at the same ment schools. The 68 teams of 100 percent: Butler, Holy basketball for black stu- to a professional sports ca-
schools — despite having this year had a graduation Cross, Duke, Middle Ten- dent-athletes at all Division reer.
financial and academ- rate for black athletes of 75 nessee, Dayton, Iowa, Kan- I programs between 1995 “Statistically, more than
ic support that removes percent, compared with 69 sas, Notre Dame, Texas, Vil- and 2005. likely, they won’t make it,”
common hurdles prevent- percent for the teams last lanova and Weber State. A recent NCAA report on Swayne said. “We don’t
ing many undergraduates year. The same schools had According to estimated graduation data shows the want to talk them out of
from earning a degree, a graduation rates of 93 per- data from the NCAA, only graduation rate for black their dreams; we just want
new report has found. cent for white men each 1.2 percent of college male players at all Division to give them some reality,
While 58 percent of black year, the study said. men’s basketball players I basketball programs was too. We want to introduce
male undergraduates at Richard Lapchick, the in- are drafted by the NBA and 72 percent for the class that them to some other pos-
the 65 schools in the Power stitute’s director, told The only 1.6 percent of college started in 2008. For football, sibilities for when football
5 conferences got degrees Associated Press that prob- football players are drafted the rate was 69 percent. is over, because it is com-
within six years, 54 percent lems with K-12 education by the NFL. On its website, the NCAA ing to an end sooner than
of black male student-ath- are part of the disparity “Although there is a great says graduation rates are they think and sooner than
letes at the same schools between black and white deal of interest in basketball higher than ever, and 15 they’re ready for.”
graduated, according to athletes. this time of year, we think it percent of student-athletes Harper said the solution is
an analysis of the 2014- “In urban areas ... the abil- is important to remind fans say they wouldn’t be in col- less likely to come from col-
2015 academic year by ity for a student to be fully of what our mission is — to lege without sports. leges than parents whose
University of Pennsylvania prepared for college by provide student-athletes But the numbers don’t children are being recruit-
researcher Shaun Harper. the time of their senior year educational opportunities hold up when looking at ed. He encouraged fami-
Harper said the gradua- of high school is seriously that will last a lifetime,” Bob the NCAA’s main revenue- lies to ask coaches about
tion gap represents a wide, compromised,” Lapchick Williams, NCAA senior vice generating sports at elite their overall student-athlete
systemic issue worse than said. “It’s not just an answer president of communica- programs. experience before com-
isolated scandals seen on of the colleges. It’s how we tions, said in a statement to “When coaches are look- mitting to schools.
individual campuses. look at American educa- the AP. ing for the best athletic “Sometimes, young men
“It happens just about ev- tion in general.” The NCAA also said gradu- talent, that’s what they’re get so excited about the
erywhere,” said Harper, looking for,” Harper said. prospect of playing for
director of Penn’s Center “They’re not really con- a particular place and
for Race and Equity in Ed- cerned with academic tal- coach,” Harper said.
ucation. “Generations of ent.” “We’re going to have to
young black men and their Harry Swayne, who played see more student activism,
parents and families are re- football at Rutgers Universi- where black players say,
peatedly duped by a sys- ty for four years before a 14- ‘You’re going to graduate
tem that lies to them about year NFL career from 1987 me, or I’m not going to play
what their life chances are to 2001, said he saw the for you.’”q
and what their athletic out-
comes are likely to be.”
Just as the attention of
the sports world shifts to
March Madness, the home
page for the NCAA’s web-
site features data on how
few student-athletes are
drafted to play profes-
sional sports, promoting its
efforts to educate college
players. The NCAA men’s
and women’s basketball
tournaments begin this
week.
The Institute for Diversity
and Ethics in Sport at the
University of Central Florida
also published a study this
