Secretary of Education wants to ban teams with low grad rates

[xu05usmc]

I came across this article from the start of the tournament and didn't see any topics listed for it, so I'll post it here, apologies if it was discussed: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2010-03-16-grad-rate-proposal_N.htm

To surmize, the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan proposes that any team with a grad rate of less than 40% would be banned from post season play. It would have taken the following teams out (teams still in are bold): Arkansas-Pine Bluff (29%), Baylor (36%), California (20%), Clemson (37%), Georgia Tech (38%), Kentucky (31%), Louisville (38%), Maryland (8%), Missouri (36%), New Mexico State (36%), Tennessee (30%) and Washington (29%).

For the record I did a little research here are the grad rates of the sweet 16 teams: Duke: 92%, Butler: 90%, Xavier: 89%, Northern Iowa: 78%, Purdue: 64%, Kansas State: 62%, Ohio State: 60%, Michigan State: 58%, Saint Mary's: 57%, Syracuse: 55%, West Virginia: 44%, Baylor: 36%, Kentucky: 31%, Tennessee: 30%, Washington: 29%, Cornell: Does not report graduation rates

Note: I assume Baylor's is pretty low because of that incident they had a few years ago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylor_University_basketball_scandal).

[xavierj]

I came across this article from the start of the tournament and didn't see any topics listed for it, so I'll post it here, apologies if it was discussed: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2010-03-16-grad-rate-proposal_N.htm

To surmize, the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan proposes that any team with a grad rate of less than 40% would be banned from post season play. It would have taken the following teams out (teams still in are bold): Arkansas-Pine Bluff (29%), Baylor (36%), California (20%), Clemson (37%), Georgia Tech (38%), Kentucky (31%), Louisville (38%), Maryland (8%), Missouri (36%), New Mexico State (36%), Tennessee (30%) and Washington (29%).

For the record I did a little research here are the grad rates of the sweet 16 teams: Duke: 92%, Butler: 90%, Xavier: 89%, Northern Iowa: 78%, Purdue: 64%, Kansas State: 62%, Ohio State: 60%, Michigan State: 58%, Saint Mary's: 57%, Syracuse: 55%, West Virginia: 44%, Baylor: 36%, Kentucky: 31%, Tennessee: 30%, Washington: 29%, Cornell: Does not report graduation rates

Note: I assume Baylor's is pretty low because of that incident they had a few years ago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylor_University_basketball_scandal).


Don't think Cornell needs to report these rates. I am sure they are much higher than Kentucky's.

[Kahns Krazy]

I think the idea comes from a reasonable place, but I don't think implemention would be possible.

I think Cornell doesn't report because they don't give athletic scolarships. and the graduation rate is based on athletic scholarship players.

[X-band '01]

Their graduation rates could be skewed if they leave college early for fat Wall Street gigs that pay more than an entry NBA salary.