5) Academics- Yes, I know this doesn't mean much in the big scheme of things(can't believe I said that, how pathetic is our society) but the NCAA is starting to really break down hard on academics. Schools that don't graduate their students are going to see penalties while schools with good graduation rates, like ISU, are sitting well to take advantage. I also feel the Presidents are tiring of realignment crapola and are going to step in more and more. Our research grants speak for them selves and will continue. We are in the AAU and we won't get kicked out anytime soon
See, this is one of our major problems. We think we have to have academic standards and that we have to follow the NCAA rules. All the schools around us are proving that you don’t have to be tied down to rules and regulations. In fact, if you want to survive and thrive as an athletic program (and major university), you’d better be ready to break a few rules now and then.
Now I’m not saying we have to go the Miami or SMU route. But we sure could go more the route of K-State, Nebraska, or Iowa. Let’s give the coach’s son a little free ride on the backs of the taxpayers with low-rent housing. Let’s poach a few athletes that have already committed. Let’s take a real hard look at dramatically lowering our academic standards.
What good does it do us to have high standards for an athletic program when the program takes hits in times like these? I don’t hear anybody saying that the main reason the SEC took A&M was for academics. Nebraska went to the Big 10 DESPITE their academic status. Lord knows Colorado has had some major violations (NCAA and legal), yet, the PAC 10 didn’t seem to even care.
It simply does not pay to play by the rules in today’s BCS world. If we think we have to follow the rules to the letter, then maybe we’d better pack it up right now.