Washington, DC, April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Alert
On The Field, But Not In Class:
Many Star Athletes Aren’t Graduating College
More than HALF of Men’s Scholarship Basketball Players
Will Not Graduate Within Six Years
The Drake Group Education Fund (TDGEF) will host its 2023 Allen Sack National Symposium on April 18 in Washington, DC and by livestream on the organization’s website here. The symposium will unite athletes, coaches, and educators to identify reform strategies to end unintended discrimination against black and other students of color in college athletics.
The Fund’s mission is to ensure that the promise of college athletics is realized for all stakeholders—which is only fulfilled if athletes are protected from educational and economic exploitation; discrimination on the basis of sex, race, and gender identification; and physical and mental abuse.
Moderated by national award-winning journalists, panel experts will focus on male and female scholarship athletes who participate in football and basketball at the highest competitive levels of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). These students generate nearly $16 billion in annual revenue for their athletic programs, but only 18.2% is spent on athletic scholarships and 1% percent on medical treatment and benefits for the young athletes. An array of pressures for athletic—but not academic—excellence has subsequently given rise to poor graduation rates among college athletes in these sports, a disproportionate number being black and other students of color. Some 52% of all NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball players, 38% of all Division I Football players, and 38% of all Division I Women’s Basketball players who were full scholarship recipients and required to be full-time students did not graduate.
Speakers will address athletic programs that routinely require student athletes to miss academic classes to attend trainings, workout sessions, or games, as well as institutions that compound poor academic performance by placing athletes in less challenging classes and majors. Proposed reforms will target changes in academic oversight and support, reallocating athletics resources, and strengthening higher education commitments by guaranteeing scholarship support through graduation and provision of academic support through an institution’s academic units rather than its athletic department. You can learn more about the symposium and register at https://www.thedrakegroupeducationfund.org/2023-sack-national-symposium/. And view the list of speakers and schedule here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZbVAdm7Ms0A72kevsWGqPkIX9SgzT7Iu&authuser=henri%40schaufflerassociates.com&usp=drive_fs
WHO: College athletes, coaches, and faculty; legislators; media leaders; and key influencers from national sports governance organizations to address the causes of poor graduation rates among athletes participating in NCAA Division I revenue sports.
WHAT: Symposium to provide current evidence for prioritizing academic excellence in athletics and strategies for education reform and graduation assurance.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT
Press arrival: 9:15am
Open to the general public with pre-purchased tickets from: https://give.cornerstone.cc/drakegroupeducationfund
Or, register for the free livestream at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZbVAdm7Ms0A72kevsWGqPkIX9SgzT7Iu&authuser=henri%40schaufflerassociates.com&usp=drive_fs
WHERE: National Press Club located at 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045
WHY: To bring about academic reform by exploring remedies that inform decision-makers, including athletics and higher education stakeholders, policymakers, and college athletes.
Featured Speakers and Recipients of National Awards:
- Allen Sack, Co-Founder, The Drake Group Education Fund
- Wayne Frederick, President, Howard University
- Hon. Cory Booker, US Senator, New Jersey
- Richard Lapchick, Director, Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport, University of Central Florida
- Christine Brennan, award-winning national sports columnist for USA Today and commentator for CNN, ABC News, PBS NewsHour, and National Public Radio.[1] [2] [3]
- Maurice Clarett, former professional football player, Ohio State and United Football League
- Mark Hyman, Director, Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, University of Maryland at College Park
- Mary Willingham, former Clinical Instructor, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; author of Cheated: The UNC Scandal, the Education of Athletes, and the Future of Big-Time College Sports
- Brendan Cole, Athletic Director, The Field School; former football captain of Hampton University
- William Rhoden, Journalist, ESPN and Andscape; former award-winning columnist at The New York Times
- Dawn Staley, Head Coach, Women’s Basketball, University of South Carolina
- Hon. Richard Blumenthal, US Senator, Connecticut
- Nicholas Askew, Director, Swimming and Tennis, Howard University
- Jennifer Abruzzo, General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board
Press RSVP and inquiries: Lisa Delpy Neirotti, PhD CollegeSportsSymposium@gmail.com
