The Drake Group Education Fund: Realizing The Promise Of College Athletics
Clear and Present Dangers — Sports Gambling. NCAA and Higher Education Must Respond Now
On September 5, 2023, Julie Sommer, Executive Director of The Drake Group Education Fund, issued the following statement via a national press release, cautioning higher education and athletics leaders to take immediate action on college athlete gambling and improper relationships between higher education institutions and the gambling industry. Sommer warned, “A tidal wave of match-fixing, … Read more
Conference Realignment Decisions Ignore Impact on Health, Well-being and Education of College Athletes
There is probably no more significant roadblock for college athletes seeking meaningful educations than the unreasonable amounts of time they must engage in practice, travel to competitions, and other athletics-related activities. College presidents and boards of trustees continue to seek more favorable conference memberships pursuing the highest media rights fee payouts, ignoring the impact of … Read more
WEBINAR #26: Sports Betting: What are the Risks for Intercollegiate Athletics?
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
The finances of college sports are in peril. Desperate for cash, college athletic departments are embracing sports betting. Many colleges have entered partnerships with sports book companies and some schools receive a payout whenever a student opens an account with the sports book. An international panel of experts examines the threefold threat to athletics and … Read more
2023 Sack Symposium Proceedings
Check out the proceedings of the 2023 Sack National symposium including video recordings of each panel session, resource materials recommended by panelists, speaker bios, national award winners and more. CLICK HERE
WEBINAR #25: 2023 Sack Symposium Proceedings – Session Four – “Are We Getting What We Paid For? Entertainment or Education?”
Critical Issues Webinars, Uncategorized, Video
A panel of experts explores the economic drivers of college sports and how they affect athlete education. The NCAA’s Division I athletics enterprise generates $15.8 billion in annual revenues of which only $2.9 billion –18.2 percent — is returned to athletes in the form of athletics scholarships and only 1 percent is spent on medical … Read more
WEBINAR #24: 2023 Sack Symposium Proceedings – Session Three – The Drake Group Education Fund National Awards Luncheon
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
The Drake Group Education Fund Chair, Michael Driscoll and The Drake Group Co-Founder and Director Emeritus Allen Sack present national awards. SEE RECORDING HERE MEET THE AWARD WINNERS: National Public Service Award, The Honorable Cory Booker, United States Senator for the State of New Jersey National Public Service Award, The Honorable Richard Blumenthal, United … Read more
WEBINAR #23: 2023 Sack Symposium Proceedings – Session Two “Aspects of the College Athlete Environmnet That Negatively and Positively Contribute to Academic Outcomes”
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
A panel of experts address whether current academic and other support programs for college athletes are structured to achieve graduation success. What constitutes a meaningful education and a safe and supportive educational environment? Do coaches make a difference in college athlete academic outcomes? Are there underlying issues related to racial inequities, time demands, and/or abusive coaching … Read more
WEBINAR #22: 2023 Sack Symposium Proceedings – Session One “Who is the College Athlete Who Is Not Graduating?”
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
A panel of former college athletes examines the reality of the athletics experience and reflects on the graduation statistics, demographics, and causative factors of college students participating in Division I revenue sports: e.g., 52 percent of all NCAA Division I men’s basketball players; 38 percent of all Division-I football players, and 38 percent of all … Read more
WEBINAR 21 – Are Institutions Being Held Accountable for Delivering on the Promise of a Meaningful Education?
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
Are college athletes truly being provided with the education they were promised? How is that education being measured? Are there differences in the academic advising and treatment of athletes in revenue versus non-revenue sports and, if so, what are they? Are graduation rates the best measure of educational outcomes? Should other alternatives or additional measures … Read more
WEBINAR 20 – Name, Image, and Likeness 1.5 Years Out -What Have We Learned and Potential Pathways Forward
Critical Issues Webinars, Featured, Video
A stellar line up of expert panelists discussed the burgeoning NIL industry and its impact on intercollegiate athletics in America. Topics include the growth of “booster NIL collectives, protection of college athletes from unethical agents, and whether universities are educating athletes on financial literacy and IRS obligations. Significant Title IX and other gender equity issues … Read more
