In April of 2015 the Big Ten Conference circulated a white paper, Education First, Athletics Second: The Time for a National Discussion is Upon Us, that proposed freshmen ineligibility for Division I football and men’s basketball players. The white paper argued that freshman ineligibility would benefit athletes academically, but that it should only apply to … Read more
April 3, 2014 West Haven, Conn. — A professor who specializes in early modern French history at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and played a significant role in exposing the biggest academic/athletic scandals at an American university will be awarded the Drake Group’s highest honor on Thursday, April 24, at noon. Jay … Read more
Absent an antitrust exemption, which only the Congress can provide, the NCAA will continue to be the target of antitrust lawsuits whenever it tries to implement educationally defensible reforms that have commercial consequences.
Our goal in this report is to provide information on whether NCAA restrictions on athletes’ free participation in the lucrative market for their images, likenesses and names is necessary either to uphold the principles of amateurism or to preserve the activity of intercollegiate athletics. The Drake Group is a national organization of faculty and others, … Read more
The Drake Group urges Congress and the general public to understand the need for comprehensive federal reform legislation that goes beyond the current singular focus on college athlete name, image, and likeness rights or a slight nod to athlete health and protection. There is a clear need for an independent Congressional Commission that examines the … Read more
During the summer of 2014, the NCAA considered a proposal to give the five richest conferences (Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conference) within the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I legislative autonomy. In response, the Drake Group, a national organization of college faculty and others released a position statement that … Read more
Following the announcement of FBI indictments for under-the-table athlete payments, B. David Ridpath, President of The Drake Group, issued the following statement highly critical of the NCAA and its member institutions: Although the latest scandal that has enveloped college sports is not surprising, it was stunning to see the federal government getting involved in policing college sports. Despite … Read more
“Prioritizing academics, well-being, fairness…” This is the NCAA mantra that is being touted and has been persistently repeated throughout the NCAA Final Four tournament events in Columbus, Ohio and San Antonio during the Division I men’s and women’s basketball championships. This message is of course amplified by television, social media and other delivery systems. In … Read more
In the wake of Dr. Larry Nassar’s convictions for sexual molestation, Drake Group president B. David Ridpath calls upon the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security to expand its current investigation beyond the actions of Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), to … Read more