The University of Football
by M. Stewart
Although I am most certainly a fan of professional football, college football leaves me cold. The firestorm over the exit of West Virginia Mountaineer head coach Rich Rodriguez serves to remind me why I feel that way.
If you’re even bothering to read this post, you probably already know that Rodriguez has decided to leave his home state and sign on with the Michigan Wolverines. Last year Rodriguez was said to be leaving Morgantown for Alabama, but he didn’t, claiming instead that he planned on “being the coach at West Virginia the rest of [his] career." Obviously, things have changed. [See Ron Cook’s There is no honor in college coaching.]
What’s happened in the days following the Michigan announcement is that several wealthy WVU donors have decided to close their checkbooks in protest, claiming that losing their football coach was the administration’s fault. [See WVU officials blamed for coach leaving.]
My problem with college football is that it has turned many universities into sports franchises. This is hardly a news flash, I know, but it's disheartening to see that the problem only gets worse.
Who thinks of universities like West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Ohio State (oh, I’m sorry, I meant to say THE Ohio State) as educational institutions? Of course education somehow gets done at these and other big-time sports universities, but the academic mission is down on the list of priorities--at least in terms of public focus. All these reneging WVU donors provide a good example of that.
At Virginia Tech, where I taught for five years in the 1980s, at least some of the football players took classes like other students, but it was clear that their priorities were not academic. Although no one said it out loud, professors were supposed to play along and make sure these guys got through. My understanding was that basketball players took “special” English classes taught at the sports complex. Because I was not involved in that program, I’m not in a position to say what went on. I can only imagine.
The story is always that big-time college sports bring in a lot of money and notoriety to universities. While this may be true, the sports business is a corrupting influence that can, and often does, run contrary to what should be the primary mission of any serious educational institution. I know this sounds really old-school and priggish, but I believe the focus of college is study, not entertainment. It's a simple matter of priorities.
Again, ask yourself what you think of when you hear University of Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, or WVU? I’ll bet it’s the Wolverines, the Buckeyes, the Crimson Tide and the Mountaineers. Who among you can name one important scholar or researcher at any of these institutions? Don’t get me wrong; the scholars and researchers are there, but their accomplishments are so overshadowed by sports that no one cares. This is my point.
But maybe my sour conclusions are not accurate in the West Virginia case. Maybe what we're seeing is some resistance to the University of Football. After all, university officials chose not to kiss the coach's ass this time, and they did so knowing the possible consequences.
According to the Post-Gazette, Stephen Goodwin, chairman of WVU's board of governors, "delivered a blunt message to those, including donors, who have second-guessed the university .... 'At the end of the day, the university is governed by its board and its president, and the people they appoint to positions of responsibility,' Mr. Goodwin said. 'Making donations to a public university does not entitle anyone to dictate policy or personnel.'"
Perhaps the correct interpretation of this Rodriguez affair is that WVU is drawing the line against the rule of sports. What do you think?
The WVReport
Speaking of WV, my Kent State colleague and native West Virginian, Anthony Underwood, has started a fantastic Web site that keeps readers up on what’s happening across the Mountain State. I urge all ORL readers to have a look at WVReport. Remember to bookmark the site when you get there.
Although I am most certainly a fan of professional football, college football leaves me cold. The firestorm over the exit of West Virginia Mountaineer head coach Rich Rodriguez serves to remind me why I feel that way.
If you’re even bothering to read this post, you probably already know that Rodriguez has decided to leave his home state and sign on with the Michigan Wolverines. Last year Rodriguez was said to be leaving Morgantown for Alabama, but he didn’t, claiming instead that he planned on “being the coach at West Virginia the rest of [his] career." Obviously, things have changed. [See Ron Cook’s There is no honor in college coaching.]
What’s happened in the days following the Michigan announcement is that several wealthy WVU donors have decided to close their checkbooks in protest, claiming that losing their football coach was the administration’s fault. [See WVU officials blamed for coach leaving.]
My problem with college football is that it has turned many universities into sports franchises. This is hardly a news flash, I know, but it's disheartening to see that the problem only gets worse.
Who thinks of universities like West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Ohio State (oh, I’m sorry, I meant to say THE Ohio State) as educational institutions? Of course education somehow gets done at these and other big-time sports universities, but the academic mission is down on the list of priorities--at least in terms of public focus. All these reneging WVU donors provide a good example of that.
At Virginia Tech, where I taught for five years in the 1980s, at least some of the football players took classes like other students, but it was clear that their priorities were not academic. Although no one said it out loud, professors were supposed to play along and make sure these guys got through. My understanding was that basketball players took “special” English classes taught at the sports complex. Because I was not involved in that program, I’m not in a position to say what went on. I can only imagine.
The story is always that big-time college sports bring in a lot of money and notoriety to universities. While this may be true, the sports business is a corrupting influence that can, and often does, run contrary to what should be the primary mission of any serious educational institution. I know this sounds really old-school and priggish, but I believe the focus of college is study, not entertainment. It's a simple matter of priorities.
Again, ask yourself what you think of when you hear University of Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, or WVU? I’ll bet it’s the Wolverines, the Buckeyes, the Crimson Tide and the Mountaineers. Who among you can name one important scholar or researcher at any of these institutions? Don’t get me wrong; the scholars and researchers are there, but their accomplishments are so overshadowed by sports that no one cares. This is my point.
But maybe my sour conclusions are not accurate in the West Virginia case. Maybe what we're seeing is some resistance to the University of Football. After all, university officials chose not to kiss the coach's ass this time, and they did so knowing the possible consequences.
According to the Post-Gazette, Stephen Goodwin, chairman of WVU's board of governors, "delivered a blunt message to those, including donors, who have second-guessed the university .... 'At the end of the day, the university is governed by its board and its president, and the people they appoint to positions of responsibility,' Mr. Goodwin said. 'Making donations to a public university does not entitle anyone to dictate policy or personnel.'"
Perhaps the correct interpretation of this Rodriguez affair is that WVU is drawing the line against the rule of sports. What do you think?
The WVReport
Speaking of WV, my Kent State colleague and native West Virginian, Anthony Underwood, has started a fantastic Web site that keeps readers up on what’s happening across the Mountain State. I urge all ORL readers to have a look at WVReport. Remember to bookmark the site when you get there.
posted by M. | 10:40 AM
2 Comments:
As a grad from THE Ohio State University, I can say that football reigns supreme (and now basketball is picking up).
It's a well-known fact that the number of wins each year by the OSU football game is directly proportional to the amount of money donated to the university.
Again, you're right that there is a lot of good research going on and a lot of fantastic professors - some the best in the world. But it's true that OSU students, upon graduation, will be able to list off the entire football roster, but can't remember who taught them history last semester.
Oddly enough, these "sports school" reputation do not hurt the value of someone's diploma.
Why? Because most people are sports fans, including the ones doing the hiring!
I graduated summa cum laude. The first time a potential employer looks at my resume, he/she says "Oh, you're a buckeye? Did you go to the games?"
I nod my head and take the job.
I do not doubt that many people see schools like OSU as sports teams with a side order of academics, but there is a significant population that still revere them as academic institutions. When I was getting ready to graduate from high school, I had to choose between my top three schools...Cornell, Case Western and Ohio State. I began with OSU at the bottom of my list because of the large size, but they continually ranked higher in every program I was interested in. (My dangling preposition is evidence that English was not on that list.) When I arrived at OSU, many of my preconceived notions were obliterated. I thought athletes were given more resources than anyone else. I was fortunate enough to enter college as an honors student and found that I was given more resources and advantages than the athletes could ever hope to get...the honors students, not the athletes, are given priority scheduling...tutors are made available for any course and multiple advisers and mentors are provided to every student. A heavier and more advanced course-load was expected of us, but we were given every opportunity.
Another example of the school's reputation outside of sports is the foreign-student population. Every year, thousands of students from all around the globe come to OSU for their degree. The majority have no interest in our sports...they simply chose the school that gave them the best academic advantage.
As an OSU alum, I have never given a donation to any university team (unless you count my two games a year), but I do give whenever possible to the College of the Humanities.
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