Topic: Athletics

Drake Group President: Congress Must Protect Student-Athletes’ Rights

Jan 11, 2021 · · Comments Off on Drake Group President: Congress Must Protect Student-Athletes’ Rights

The fight to protect student-athletes’ rights has been a long uphill battle. The injustices that college athletes suffer at the hands of their academic institutions are many, including a shameless disregard for athletes’ physical, financial, and educational well-being. To make matters worse, the NCAA, founded to protect student-athletes from exploitation, has failed in its mission … Continue reading “Drake Group President: Congress Must Protect Student-Athletes’ Rights”

Reforming Higher Ed in 2021

Jan 4, 2021 · · Comments Off on Reforming Higher Ed in 2021

The year 2020 brought changes that colleges would have never made by choice. Enrollment declines, remote classes, and dramatic employee cuts (for faculty and some staff alike) were unthinkable a year ago. But, for the sake of the future, more work remains. Below are some priorities the Martin Center staff would like to see catch … Continue reading “Reforming Higher Ed in 2021”

Is College Football an Expensive Luxury for Many Universities?

Sep 25, 2020 · · Comments Off on Is College Football an Expensive Luxury for Many Universities?

The importance of college football to university education is vastly overrated. Rather than an integral part of the college experience, football means more student debt, another burden for taxpayers, and a compromised education for athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting universities to develop costly new teaching methodologies, require expensive campus protection strategies, and has caused … Continue reading “Is College Football an Expensive Luxury for Many Universities?”

How College Sports Can Survive

Jun 17, 2020 · · Comments Off on How College Sports Can Survive

Without revenue from the NCAA Final Four tournament and other sources of income, it is clear that the intercollegiate athletics industry faces difficult choices from the consequences of the coronavirus. College sports will confront a continuing crisis until adequate testing is in place, along with social distancing at athletic events, or a vaccine is created. … Continue reading “How College Sports Can Survive”

How UNC Can Save Money Post-COVID-19

May 18, 2020 · · Comments Off on How UNC Can Save Money Post-COVID-19

UNC has announced its intent to reopen all 16 campuses this fall with in-person instruction. But the system will have to make significant changes before moving forward. Jenna A. Robinson and Sumantra Maitra released a new policy brief for the Martin Center describing some of the financial changes that universities can make to survive and … Continue reading “How UNC Can Save Money Post-COVID-19”

A Conversation with the Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill

Mar 30, 2020 · · Comments Off on A Conversation with the Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill

On December 13th, 2019, Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz became the 12th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his appointment, he had been serving as interim chancellor after Carol Folt abruptly resigned in January 2019. Guskiewicz took leadership during a time of upheaval on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. Before resigning, Folt ordered … Continue reading “A Conversation with the Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill”

Did You Know? The Highest Coaching Salaries in the UNC System

Mar 26, 2020 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? The Highest Coaching Salaries in the UNC System

College athletics is big business. And head coaches of successful teams have the salaries to prove it, particularly in football and men’s basketball. Although sports are canceled, for now, it’s worth taking a look at spending on coaches’ salaries. Across the UNC system, the average pay of head coaches varies widely. The table below shows … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Highest Coaching Salaries in the UNC System”

How College Sports Turned into a Corrupt Mega-Business

Mar 11, 2020 · · Comments Off on How College Sports Turned into a Corrupt Mega-Business

College sports are a gigantic entertainment business that have nothing to do with the missions of the schools. Frequently, the highest-paid employee of a school is the football or basketball coach, and the athletics budget is hugely subsidized by fees paid by financially strapped students. Players who read and write at a middle-school level (if … Continue reading “How College Sports Turned into a Corrupt Mega-Business”

The Ever-growing Costs of Mandatory Student Fees

Mar 2, 2020 · · Comments Off on The Ever-growing Costs of Mandatory Student Fees

North Carolina public universities are more than just institutions of higher learning. They are each small cities of young adults with Olympic-level athletic franchises, massive dining and fitness clubs, and special interest hobby communities supported by extensive human and physical infrastructure. To fund the many perks and benefits of university life, schools charge extra fees … Continue reading “The Ever-growing Costs of Mandatory Student Fees”

Race-Centered Narratives Obscure the Problems of College Sports

Feb 14, 2020 · · Comments Off on Race-Centered Narratives Obscure the Problems of College Sports

National discussions of college athletics routinely emphasize race. That emphasis, however, is unfortunate because it diverts attention from issues that affect all student-athletes. Also, discussions of race in college sports commonly rely on questionable statistics. Some of those statistics come from a report by Shaun Harper, head of the Center on Race and Equity at … Continue reading “Race-Centered Narratives Obscure the Problems of College Sports”