Panel debates college athletics

The BCS, LeBron James, Title IX and paying student-athletes. All were addressed Tuesday night by a Union Board and Mortar Board-sponsored debate regarding the state of collegiate athletics. \nDr. Gary Sailes, a HPER professor whose work has focused on sports sociology, served as the moderator. A prominent authority in his field, Sailes has lead discussions about collegiate athletics on the floor of Congress.\nThe list of panelists included Dr. Murray Sperber, a professor in IU's English department and an outspoken critic of collegiate athletics; John Laskowski, former IU basketball player-turned-broadcaster; Mark Wilson, coach of IU's women's rowing team for four years and Dean of Students Richard McKaig.\nThe panel began the evening by addressing certain hot topics, such as the commercialization of college athletics, special treatment toward athletes and how the role of college athletics has changed over the past 30 years. After each panelist was given sufficient time to assert his or her view, the forum was opened up to a question-and-answer session with the audience.\nThere are more than 600 student-athletes at IU and those athletes are awarded roughly a combined $5 million in scholarships. But some argue the rigors of school work, competition and hours of practice prevent athletes from taking on a part-time job to pay for items not covered by their scholarship money. They have argued that the NCAA should pay its student-athletes, a sentiment Wilson and the other panelists disagreed with.\n"Playing is a privilege," Wilson said. "You come to Indiana to get an education. The sport is a bonus. Your education is the No. 1 reason to come to school."\nLaskowski spoke about students leaving early from college and some even making the jump from high school to professional leagues. He said college sports are now serving as minor leagues for certain sports. \n"The NBA is trying to reform the system they have in place now, and put an age limit on who can enter the league," Laskowski said. "Baseball has the right idea. They sign kids who graduate from high school and in their contracts stipulate that if the athlete does not reach the majors, then the team will pay for their college education."\nSperber, who is widely recognized as one of the nation's foremost critics and commentators on the subject of college sports, has appeared on ESPN on numerous occasions. He serves as the chairman for the National Alliance for Collegiate Athletic Reform (NAFCAR), an intercollegiate faculty committee advocating reform in athletic policy. \nSperber addressed the issue of professional influence on college sports. He said he believes that with the chase for athletic success and big-dollar pay days, it is hard for the athlete to get an adequate education because the coaches put less emphasis on class work and more on winning on the field.\n"Nobody pays you to lose," he said.