The purpose of the 2023 Allen Sack National Symposium is to address the causes of poor graduation rates among athletes participating in NCAA Division I revenue sports. Speakers will focus on male and female scholarship athletes who are participating in football and basketball at the highest competitive levels of the NCAA – athletes who are majority minority and whose sports annually generate $15.8 billion in annual revenues for their athletic programs. We will explore remedies to inform decision makers, including athletics and higher education stakeholders, policymakers, and college athletes themselves.
Event Overview
The April 18, 2023, one-day program features three award-winning national journalists, each moderating a 90-minute panel of experts with each panel examining a critical perspective related to unacceptable graduation rates among Division I revenue-sport athletes.
9:15-10:45am PANEL #1 – Who Is the College Athlete Who Is Not Graduating?
Moderator: William C. Rhoden, ESPN/Andscape, former New York Times Columnist
An examination of the athlete experience and review of the graduation statistics and demographics of college students participating in Division I revenue sports: e.g., 52 percent of all NCAA Division I men’s basketball players; 38% of all Division-I football players, and 38 percent of all Division I women’s basketball players who were full scholarship recipients and required to be full-time students did not graduate within six years. A clear majority of these athletes are students of color. Athlete stakeholders and academic and other support staff experts address the reality of the athlete experience.
11:00am-12:30pm PANEL #2 – Aspects of the College Athlete Environment That Negatively and Positively Contribute to Academic Outcomes. Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Education Editor and Co-Founder What constitutes 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 practices that should be addressed? How does concussion and adequacy of coaching staff training affect athlete classroom performance?
12:45-1:45pm AWARDS LUNCHEON featuring presentation of TDGEF national awards. TDGEF board members and national experts will be seated at student tables during lunch for informal discussion/Q&As. The awards program includes recipients of the TDGEF Student Journalism Prize for Investigative Reporting in Intercollegiate Athletics, TDGEF Hero Award, and TDGEF “Making A Difference” Award, among others.
2:00-3:30pm PANEL #3 – Are We Getting What We Paid For? Entertainment or Education? Sally Jenkins, Washington Post, Sports Columnist and Feature Writer What are the economic drivers of college sports and how do 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 treatment and insurance protections compared to 35 percent spent on administrative and coach compensation and 18% on lavish facilities. Will a redistribution of expenditures address unacceptable academic outcomes or the long-term impact of athletic injuries.
3:30-5:00pm NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. All attendees are invited to attend a post- symposium networking and cocktail reception, book exhibit, and author autograph signing event.
Who Are the Attendees?
National sports and higher education media, leaders, and key influencers from national sports governance organizations, NCAA Division I athletics programs, and national higher education and sports-related professional organizations, members of the U.S. Congress and their staff, higher education faculty, nationally recognized experts in the economic and legal aspects of college athletics, and members of the general public. One hundred invited sports management, sports law, and other currently enrolled students in sports-related majors from colleges and universities within 60 miles of Washington D.C. (with preference given to students from HBCUs and other low-resourced institutions) are invited to attend at no charge thanks to sponsors and donors. These stakeholders represent an investment in the development of future change agents.