U.S. SUPREME COURT - Students vs NCAA

"How the latest Supreme Court ruling could impact the student athlete compensation battle" PBS NewsHour 6/21/2021

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SUMMARY:  The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday delivered a blow to the NCAA as the justices sided with former college athletes in a dispute over compensation.  While the unanimous ruling was limited to education-related benefits, like postgraduate scholarships and paying for computers or tutoring, it could add to the momentum for greater compensation for college athletes.  John Yang explores.

PUSHING THE LIMITS - Coaching, is Players' Health Secure?

"Maryland football player’s heatstroke death raises scrutiny of coaching" PBS NewsHour 8/14/2018

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SUMMARY:  University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, 19, was hospitalized in May after he had trouble breathing and standing upright during practice.  His death two weeks later sent shockwaves through the college football world and raised questions about the coaching staff's response.  Amna Nawaz sits down with sports writer and author John Feinstein.

NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Notre Dame at the Buzzer

"How Notre Dame women’s basketball won the NCAA championship in the final 3 seconds" PBS NewsHour 4/2/2018

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SUMMARY:  The Notre Dame women's basketball team rallied in its championship game against Mississippi State on Sunday night, winning with a successful shot in the final moments.  It was the second buzzer beater for Arike Ogunbowale in as many games: On Friday night, she helped sink UCONN, the powerhouse of women's basketball.  Yamiche Alcindor talks to Ava Wallace of the Washington Post.

NCAA - Basketball Scandal

"College basketball bribery scandal could ensnare dozens of universities" PBS NewsHour 9/26/2017

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SUMMARY:  College basketball is embroiled in yet another scandal.  Ten people, including NCAA assistant coaches, an agent and a top executive at Adidas, have been charged with bribery involving thousands of dollars used to influence student athletes.  Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss what these accusations reveal about the “dark underbelly of college basketball.”

THE STREAK - ! University of Connecticut Women's Basketball !

"How UConn women's basketball became synonymous with winning" PBS NewsHour 2/14/2017

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SUMMARY:  The UConn Women's basketball team hasn't lost a game since 2014.  That streak -- 100 straight games -- has never been approached by any other NCAA team -- male or female.  William Brangham talks to Christine Brennan of USA TODAY about this groundbreaking accomplishment.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM (NewsHour):  To put this streak in context, the UConn women haven't lost a basketball game since 2014.  No one has beaten them in over 800 days.

And inside that span, they also won two of their record four national championships.  One analyst called the UConn women — quote — “the most dominant program in the history of college basketball, period.”

For more on these amazing women and their legendary coach, Geno Auriemma, I'm joined by USA Today's Christine Brennan.

Welcome back to the NewsHour.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA Today:  Great to be here, William.  Thank you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM:  So, explain this phenomenon that is these women.  How do you explain their dominance?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN:  Well, no one saw this coming, if you consider, UConn had won four national championships in a row.  And …

WILLIAM BRANGHAM:  Amazing, in and of itself.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN:  That's right.

And the top three players from that, the seniors who won all four years, all went in the WNBA draft first, second, and third.  So, of all players coming out of college, they were the best three.  They all left.

So, everyone thought this was going to be a down year for UConn.

EDUCATION - University of North Carolina Bogus Classes

aka "How to Create Truly Dumb College Jocks"

"Why did no one flag UNC’s bogus classes?" PBS NewsHour 10/23/2014

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GWEN IFILL (NewsHour):  For many years, the University of North Carolina has been a powerhouse in the world of college sports, enhanced by a reputation as an institution which cultivates student athletes.

But, yesterday, an independent investigator provided the most detailed look yet at academic fraud that lasted for nearly two decades and included bogus classes where students didn’t even need to show up.

Earlier this year, the HBO program Real Sports examined what was happening there.

Here’s an excerpt.

The correspondent is Bernard Goldberg.

BERNARD GOLDBERG, HBO Real Sports:  At the University of North Carolina, learning specialist Mary Willingham was baffled by what she was seeing from the athletes arriving at one of America’s most prestigious schools.

MARY WILLINGHAM:  They’re coming in with reading levels of fourth, fifth, sixth grade.  There’s even some who are reading below a fourth grade level.

BERNARD GOLDBERG:  You are saying that some kids who are admitted to the University of North Carolina, one of the best public colleges in America, with a fourth grade or even in some cases lower than a fourth grade reading level?

MARY WILLINGHAM:  That’s correct.  Makes it pretty hard to go to college, doesn’t it?

BERNARD GOLDBERG:  You would think.  And for many years, the NCAA had a rule to help ensure incoming athletes could handle college work, requiring them to score a certain level on standardized tests, like the SAT or the ACT.

But in 2003, that rule was revoked.  Colleges could now put athletes on the football field or basketball court no matter how they did on the tests.  And, soon, the term college education began to take on a whole new meaning.

Duh?  The NCAA needs to reinstate the 'level on standardized test' rule.