Lit Review

citation: Weaver, Karen. "A Game Change: Paying For Big-Time College Sports." Change 43.1 (2011): 14-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Summary: The article gives information about how much money college athletics earns and how college sports are paid for. 

Author: Karen Weaver 

Key terms include: college athletics, students athletes, big ten, money 

Quote:  "The Big Ten Network provides a revenue stream of almost $9 million dollars per year to each member. All told, the Big Ten Conference members stand to reap a minimum of $2.8 billion over the next 20 years" (1).

"The second warning sign is runaway coaching salaries. The belief that, in order to win, an institution must hire a “name” coach is pervasive in the mid-majors. One only has to look at Rutgers, which, in trying to elevate its national profile, has spent over $2 million dollars annually on head coach Greg Schiano’s salary and in 2008 added $250,000 to it from an out- side source without disclosing the supplement to the general public" (1).

"In fact, so many have applied for re-classification from Division II to Division I that the NCAA has implemented a four-year mora- torium for new Division I members. According to USA Today, the new membership re-classification fee for schools that join Division I when the moratorium is lifted may approach $1.3 million" (2).

value: I used this article to support college athletics, as it gives details on how much college sports make. However, I think I will use it to help support some facts I have about student fees and the affects they have on nonathletic students.

Counter Argument

The counterargument for my paper is probably that college athletics brings in a significant profit for the university, and that it is a necessary evil due to privatization. The main source I have for this argument is the pieces of opposing arguments he has in how book. I also have some numbers from Karen Weaver which show that the Big Ten does bring in a pretty particular sum.

I want to find a better source, however. Something which has a more solid argument with better points. I'm thinking of using the autobiography with McCormick.

Interview

I'm not quite sure what I'll use as my primary source yet. I am thinking of creating a poll to see how university students feel about rutgers having such high sports subsidies, but as the past few days have taught me it is apparently very difficult to get people to take a poll. I can also try interviewing a student, but I feel like interviewing only one student and using their singular opinion about rutgers spending isn't very impactful.

Alternatively, I can use an autobiographical source, but I'm not sure how I want to work something like that into my paper.

My Case

Cheslock and Knight describe a pattern of economic imbalance present in a number of athletic programs at universities. Such universities seem to directly prove my belief that college athletics do not actually produce significant revenue. Dowling also provides a description of New Mexico State, which struggled with both academic decline and athletics related legal scandals.
Finally, while I was not able to find many scholarly articles on the topic, the article by Lavigne describes cases like Chris Rainey’s where athletes were able to escape crime charges. I was also able to find an article in the Sociology of Sports Journal which claims that athletes are less likely to be convicted of sexual assault.  I will attempt to find more article supporting this idea.

Cheslock, John J., and David B. Knight. "Diverging Revenues, Cascading Expenditures, And Ensuing Subsidies: The Unbalanced And Growing Financial Strain Of Intercollegiate Dowling, William C. Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Hard times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 2007. Print.

Lavigne, Paula. "Lawyers, Status, Public Backlash Aid College Athletes Accused of Crimes." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 15 June 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

WOLVERTON, BRAD. "NCAA Says It's Investigating Academic Fraud At 20 Colleges." Chronicle Of Higher Education 61.20 (2015): A13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Benedict, Jeffrey, and Alan Klein. "Arrest And Conviction Rates For Athletes Accused Of Sexual Assault." Sociology Of Sport Journal 14.1 (1997): 86-94. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Lit review 4

Citation: Kamusoko, Sibongile D., and Cynthia Lee A. Pemberton. "Student-Athlete Wellbeing And Persistence: An In-Depth Look At Student-Athlete Perceptions." Online Submission (2012): ERIC. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.

Summary: The article gives information about NCAA regulations put in place in order to raise academic standards for student athletes, and the effects such regulations have 

Author: Sibongile D. Kamusok and Cynthia Lee A. Pemberton

Key terms include: college athletics, students athletes, NCAA

Quote:  "Intercollegiate athletics has gone through a number of restructuring periods associated with the challenges of balancing athletic and academic excellence (Ferris, Finster, & McDonald, 2004; Sack & Staurowsky, 1998; Thelin, 1994; Zimbalist, 1999)" (3).

"Savage’s study confirmed anomalies and inconsistencies associated with intercollegiate athletics and the role and mission of colleges/universities in terms of their core business that is, educating students (Thelin, 1994)" (3). 

"Despite NCAA legislative measures and requirements, recent literature confirms that student-athletes still confront conflicting roles associated with education and athletics (Hyatt, 2003; Nordeen, 2005; Suggs, 2003; Suggs, 2005; Wolverton, 2008). In addition, cases of academic fraud, in the form of altering athlete transcripts, acceptance of lower admission standards, awarding grades for classes that athletes had not attended, dishonesty, unethical practices, use of improper incentives from alumni, smear campaigns and attacking programs at other institutions persist (Ferris, et al., 2004; Kelo, 2005; KFCIA, 1991, 2001, 2010; Maxcy, 2004; Thelin, 2004; Zimbalist, 1999)"(5).

value: this article will give me the information I need to connect academic dishonesty and academic decline as a result of college sports .