Monday, March 15, 2010

Maybe the Best Really Is the Best?

Inside Higher Ed has reprised its annual feature that works out the NCAA men's college basketball tournament on the NCAA's academic progress rate for each institution. Note that this is not a measure of the relative academic rigor of different colleges but of their success in getting their athletes through college.

This year's and last year's outcomes either say something about academic progress in major college sports or about the ability of major programs to game the data. Last year's winner was North Carolina, who went on to win the actual tournament. This year's winner is overall number 1 seed Kansas.

For our readers, we note that in the academic hoops tournament, Kentucky and Ohio State are eliminated in the second round.

As an academic administrator, we often wonder whether a true partnership between academics and athletics is possible. Outcomes like this suggest that it just might be.

3 comments:

KevinAK said...

"For our readers, we note that in the academic hoops tournament, Kentucky and Ohio State are eliminated in the second round."

You forgot the local team that made it to the tournament.

Jon A. Alfred E. Michael J. Wile E. SWNID said...

True enough! We regret our neglect of the Noble Musketeers of Xavier University. Our attention was preoccupied with those universities whose fans are most obviously rabid.

Anthony Jones said...

academics schmacademics!