Profs criticize $1.2 million for OU athletics

It is time that Republican Governor Ted Strickland gets serious with the funding of colleges and universities in Ohio. He could begin with a state-wide study of NCAA athletics. Ohio University is not alone in subsidizing this agenda.

The money being transferred to the NCAA entertainment business could be directed to athletics at any level in the state. On college campuses, student's would be better served with participatory opportunities in intramural sports. Secondary schools should have robust athletic programs to build physical health in young people. The last place that money for "sports" should be spent in the Ohio education system is on entertainment.

Fellow Republican Fingerhut might want to look deep and not accept the "snow job" reports that cover his desk. The subsidy of NCAA entertainment comes from many directions on Ohio campuses. Look into parking, vending, the transfer of assets, etc.

Why does this happen? The leadership of universities: presidents, trustees, AD's, all get a big personal "jolly" from the activity. If you can't own the Dallas Cowboys, why not own a lesser team at taxpayer expense?

The "national exposure" that Ohio University should seek should be related to learning and the creation of knowledge. NCAA athletics are at best an escape for fans, it is a distraction to the serious business of education.

(Don't we have a super high paid university president in Ohio that received "national exposure" by fashioning himself as the great reformer of college athletics? Maybe he can help Eric with this enormous work?)

I'm not sure Strickland would qualify as a Republican considering he ran as a Democrat.

An infusion of cash to athletics could jsut as easily be described as an investment in the marketing of the school. Without athletics, many students would enroll elsewhere. If you want to call it entertainment, fine. But don't act as if athletic departments don't assist admission departments in the recruitment of all students, not just athletes.

As someone who has worked in college admissions for 13 years, it's a no-brainer. And as someone who has no athletic ability but an interest in being a fan, it absolutely swayed my college decision. Colleges need to be well-rounded to attract students. Athletics and academics go hand-in-hand.

Maybe it is time to get serious about bring college athletics back to reality. The coaches salaries are beyond rational, the training facilities are often of a quality that the academic side of the university has never seen, and the general conduct of some student athletes has increasingly become worse. College athletics increasingly appear to have become the "farm league" for the NFL, the NBA, and other professional sports. If the pros want to draft players before they have finished a degree they need to pay to the university every penny provided to those student athletes cost, times three. The primary purpose of those student athletes is supposed to be to go to college to get a degree, and that appears often not to be the case. The tales from some that the athletic programs attract students is total junk. Either they want to come to school for quality academics, or to play. I have numerous degrees, however my undergrad degree was from Franklin University, has served me best among my degrees. They have no athletic program however they do have a very serious, high-quality academic program.

As an alum I can tell you full well that students really could care less about varsity sports in Athens. Use the money for something else, like maybe finding your grads jobs, which luckily I (among few) was able to do in my major.
Things would be a lot better in A-town if Sen. George would come and take over as president when he leave Washington. McDavis's tenure has been a joke.

McLaughlin should look at himself and other faculty members. They are over paid, contribute little and have never had a real job. Go out in the private specter and then you'll see how well your welfare state job is really treating you.

Yep , Tell the Professor Joe McLaughlin ," If he had done a better job at teaching ethics in the business world of education at OU " , No one would be losing their jobs today . It's the higher educated folks in the business sector of the world that have brought down the great American economy thru greed and fraudulent lending and a lack of discipline . Oh well , he probably already knows this ... but Doesn't want to hear it .

Soooo This is news?? Why don't the coaches donate a year's salary toward the debt. Living in Athens with all of their perks should leave something to give for their almighty cause.