Spurrier Blasts Usc Admissions

[DeepGreen]

This is not UNT related and can be moved.

Spurrier blasts South Carolina admissions for denying two recruits

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier blasted the school's admissions process, apologizing to two recruits who signed with the Gamecocks last winter and were denied academic entry this summer.

"In my opinion, I still believe we made a mistake," Spurrier said Sunday.

Spurrier had spoken with university president Andrew Sorensen and the two agreed, the coach said, that things needed to change.

Spurrier was angered that receiver Michael Bowman of Wadesboro, N.C., and Arkee Smith of Jacksonville, Fla., were cleared by the NCAA to enroll, yet were turned down by the university. The rest of the Gamecocks football team officially reported Friday for preseason camp.

"Hopefully, I truly believe this is the last year this is going to happen, because I can't operate like that," Spurrier said. "I can't operate misleading young men."

Spurrier signed a contract extension, which included a raise of nearly a half-million dollars, that ties him to South Carolina through 2012. However, he said if things didn't change on admissions "then I have to go somewhere else, because I can't tell the young man that he's coming to school here," then not have him admitted.

University spokesman Russ McKinney said Spurrier has been involved in talks with Sorensen and other administrators about refining the process of athletic admissions.

"I think the university administration understands his frustration," McKinney said.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[UNTflyer]

I have to, for the first time in this Gator fans' life, disagree with the Ol' BallCoach.

Universities are institutes of higher learning... that is their first and foremost goal. When you give a kid a spot on the school rolls so that he can play football but he can't achieve even a minimal level of academic success, it diminishes the reputation and quality of the school.

Edited August 7, 2007 by UNTflyer

[GreenN'walinsVet]

I have to, for the first time in this Gator fans' life, disagree with the Ol' BallCoach.

Universities are institutes of higher learning... that is their first and foremost goal. When you give a kid a spot on the school rolls so that he can play football but he can't achieve even a minimal level of academic success, it diminishes the reputation and quality of the school.

I agree with you whole heartedly except for one fact, the NCAA cleared these young men to attend and play witch means that they could achieve a minimal level of academic success in the NCAAs opinon. So I understand his frustration in that the NCAA told these kids yes, so he offered them a scholorship and told them they were ready to go, but then SC came back afterwards and told them they couldnt attend.

[EagleD]

New Spurrier quote:

"Who cares what their GPA and test scores are. They chose the school to play football and not for their academics. I think that college admissions criteria for athletes should change … "

Ummm No. They are STUDENT athletes.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEAT THE HELL OUT OU !!!!!!!!

[Mean Green 93-98]

I agree with you whole heartedly except for one fact, the NCAA cleared these young men to attend and play witch means that they could achieve a minimal level of academic success in the NCAAs opinon. So I understand his frustration in that the NCAA told these kids yes, so he offered them a scholorship and told them they were ready to go, but then SC came back afterwards and told them they couldnt attend.

Each school has the prerogative to set higher admission standards than those minimal standards set by the NCAA, and most people would count it an honor to be associated with a school with higher academic standards. Coach might want to learn what the admission standards are of his school before he tells players they will be able to come.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Mean Green 93-98

[GrandGreen]

Another example of the hypocrisy that is NCAA football. Programs like the University of Texas highlight the kind of issues that are swept under the table. There are probably less than 5 players on UT's football team who could have qualified and been admitted to UT as regular students. Special programs and standards are applied to athletes creating an environment where athletes are really isolated from the rest of the student body. This goes on at all division 1a football programs to some extent but are magnified at top academic institutions which also compete at the top level of athletes.

Those who think any of the top tier football factories don't have separate admission standards for athletes are naive. Spurrier most likely doesn't like the fact that even though athletics are already getting special admittance standards at South Carolina they are slightly above minimum NCAA standards.

[meangreenfreak]

Another example of the hypocrisy that is NCAA football. Programs like the University of Texas highlight the kind of issues that are swept under the table. There are probably less than 5 players on UT's football team who could have qualified and been admitted to UT as regular students. Special programs and standards are applied to athletes creating an environment where athletes are really isolated from the rest of the student body. This goes on at all division 1a football programs to some extent but are magnified at top academic institutions which also compete at the top level of athletes.

Those who think any of the top tier football factories don't have separate admission standards for athletes are naive. Spurrier most likely doesn't like the fact that even though athletics are already getting special admittance standards at South Carolina they are slightly above minimum NCAA standards.

Heaven forbid these students are actually expected to go to class and learn something while in college. I think the University is right on for not admitting them.

[Arkstfan]

I have really mixed emotions on this issue.

The NCAA standards are minimal to prevent schools from admitting athletes who have little chance of academic success. Schools may set higher standards for admission or continuing eligibility. For example ASU requires greater progress toward a degree than the NCAA does for continuing eligibility.

You should be able to say that everyone who is enrolled at an institution and completes a degree there have met a certain performance level but a person with a different background and skill set does broaden the university experience. It is however hypocritical to say that person A is worthy of the educational experience because he can drain the three or knock 285 pound guys on their duff while person B who has a better academic record and has broad life experience of working on worthy civic projects isn't worthy.

Alumni and students have a right to expect that students admitted are of roughly similar capability. The University of Arkansas has turned out two professional players who later admitted to being unable to read. Students and alumni deserve to have the value of the education upheld, not devalued by such scandal.

I think it would be a heckuva a lot easier for Spurrier if he'd just figure out what the criteria is special admission and recruit accordingly, but by the same token the admissions people need to set forth a clear standard as well stating what the minimum is special admission.

[Got5onIt]

I have to, for the first time in this Gator fans' life, disagree with the Ol' BallCoach.

Universities are institutes of higher learning... that is their first and foremost goal. When you give a kid a spot on the school rolls so that he can play football but he can't achieve even a minimal level of academic success, it diminishes the reputation and quality of the school.

Umm, what rock have you been living under for the past 30 years?? Many universities hold a second standard of requirements for admitting athletes.

[untbowler]

nope nothing negative about UNT has been said yet. Maybe UNT's standards are a little low with amount of athletes who have flunked out the last 5 years.

[UNTflyer]

Umm, what rock have you been living under for the past 30 years?? Many universities hold a second standard of requirements for admitting athletes.

You're right.

Admissions director: I'm sorry, we require a minimum 750 combined on the SAT.

Football coach: Yeah, but this kid can run the 40 in 4.28 seconds!

Admissions director: Welcome to Big State Univeristy, son!

I applaud South Carolina for setting a higher standard.

[untgirl04]

You're right.

Admissions director: I'm sorry, we require a minimum 750 combined on the SAT.

Football coach: Yeah, but this kid can run the 40 in 4.28 seconds!

Admissions director: Welcome to Big State Univeristy, son!

I applaud South Carolina for setting a higher standard.

I would applaud South Carolina if they hadn't caved on the issue.

[EagleD]

So what happens to the two players? I assume they signed letters of intent to play for SC. If they can get accepted to another 1A program, will they have to sit out a year? It would seem a shame.

Also why didn't these kids know about enrollment until the first day of practice? Shouldn't that have been cleared up this summer?

Strange things are afoot at the USC.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEAT THE HELL OUT OU !!!!!!!!!!!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

-

----two recruits who signed with the Gamecocks last winter and were denied academic entry this summer.

---I have no problem with South Carolina denying admission to these students...BUT.... the above stated they waited until this summer to deny admission... They should have been informed way before then so they could seek another place to go. They apparently allowed these students to think they were going to be football players at South Carolina for MONTHS.... before deciding against them... That is cruel, mean and classless... unless they told the students months ago that admission was unlikely but possible depending upon their spring grades.

----I don't agree with the comment that Spurrier seemed to make either....... Each school can set its own standards of admission and the ability to play sports is not the only one.

---The crack-down on academic standards happened about 1980 after a Creighton basketball sued them on the grounds that he had just been used for his athletic ability and received no education... he was functionally illiterate even after 4 years in school and took unrelated classes leading to no degree just to stay eligible. Things are much better on academic standards than they once were, even if there are still problems. At least there are NCAA minimums with demands that students make progress toward a degree. Schools with extremely high admission standards do have different admission standards for athletes in many cases. Rice and Duke would trouble competing at all if they didn't. They do poorly in football as it is. Athletes may get in high academic places but staying elgible can be often be a problem at these places for these sub-par students.

---It is interesting to compare majors of students that are introduced on TV nowadays compared to what there were when I was in college.... a lot more fluff majors mentioned now than there were then. Not as many engineering, sciences, or business degrees are quoted now. Landry had degree in electrical engineering even a masters in EE. .... (it showed) Jimmy Johnson had a psychology one (it showed too..motivation).

Edited August 8, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66