Arizona State Univ. President Michael Crow on Friday said that he "welcomes new competition in the Valley from Grand Canyon University but added that he doesn’t believe in competing in athletics against a for-profit university," according to Richard Obert of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. GCU President & CEO Brian Mueller on Thursday said that he "believes Crow is leading an effort by Pac-12 CEOs to try to block the school’s move into NCAA Division I athletics." Crow responded, "It’s about what we want the NCAA to be. ... It’s contrary to what we’re trying to do." GCU "will be the first for-profit university in Division I." Crow said that he has "instructed his athletic-department personnel not to schedule games in any sport against Grand Canyon." Crow said that he "feels a for-profit school doesn’t line up with the NCAA principles on academics and doesn’t enhance the value of student-athletes." Crow: "We want to play local schools, but not local schools that are doing it to make money for their shareholders" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/20). In Phoenix, Bob Young wrote, "Trouble is, the argument is fraught with hypocrisy. Eventually, ASU and virtually all public and private universities are headed toward the same model." The future of higher education "is a hybrid, in which some students live and study on campus and others get their education through the same institution on-line." All of this "could set up a clash of Valley titans between" Crow and USA Basketball Chair Jerry Colangelo, who is "serving as a consultant" to Mueller. It was Colangelo who "helped smooth the way for GCU’s entry to Division I, thanks to his strong relationship with NCAA President Mark Emmert." Colangelo said, "It seems a little short-sighted, especially when so many schools in the community are developing other sources of revenue to supplement state aid" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/20).
