I have written this idea to Swimming World and USA Swimmer and now I want to share it with my Forum Friends to see if I can garner any support. I just read the report in the ASCA magazine on how the implementation of Title IX has hurt men's swimming. As a supporter of womens sports I think Title IX has done much more good than harm. As a fan of college swimming I think the NCAA has done more harm than good. I was searching for a solution that would get swimming out of being at the mercy of the NCAA.The solution seems to be to start a scholarship fund for swimmers to be administered by USA Swimming. Criteria would be set up,both athletic and academic,for deserving swimmers to earn college scholarships to the college of their choice. The swimmer would be free to swim for the college if they had a team if desired or for the appropriate club if they don't. If they earn a swimming scholarship from the college the extra funds could be recycled back into the program.In the interest of fairness the scholarships would go to an equal number of men and women. This program would not be a way to get around Title IX but to get around the NCAA. Yes,it would take a massive fund raising effort,but I think most swimmers,parents,Masters,and corporate sponsors would be interested in donating(I would.) It would give swimming great publicity and would be a great recruiting tool. What do Y'all think?
Muppet,
You apparently have the idea that someone is borrowing money to fund these deficits. There really are no deficits for these teams. They all receive an allotment of money from the school. So in football's case, they receive several million dollars and in swimming's case they receive a hundred grand or so. Now football spends 10-15 million having collected all but a couple of it from donations and ticket sales. So there is no loan.
Now in the case of Rutgers, when you need more money, you take the money allocated to the Olympic sports from the student activity fees and you give it to football. The reason given was that there were more students wanting to go to the game now that the team got better. A funny thing happened on the way to the ticket booth. Fewer than the allocated number of tickets were available for their last few games!
Leo
Muppet,
You apparently have the idea that someone is borrowing money to fund these deficits. There really are no deficits for these teams. They all receive an allotment of money from the school. So in football's case, they receive several million dollars and in swimming's case they receive a hundred grand or so. Now football spends 10-15 million having collected all but a couple of it from donations and ticket sales. So there is no loan.
Now in the case of Rutgers, when you need more money, you take the money allocated to the Olympic sports from the student activity fees and you give it to football. The reason given was that there were more students wanting to go to the game now that the team got better. A funny thing happened on the way to the ticket booth. Fewer than the allocated number of tickets were available for their last few games!
Leo
