Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby yesterday told the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics his opinion on the "hotly debated question of the connection between college athletes and amateurism," according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. Bowlsby said, "I don’t think they’re amateurs. They’re college athletes." Bowlsby's comment came in the "context of a broader point he was making about the relationship colleges have with their big-time athletes, one that he says is unique to American higher education." In an interview after his appearance, Bowlsby "discussed in general terms how he defines professionals and amateurs, as well as the prospect of schools being able to do more for athletes’ health care across a broad spectrum." These are issues that Bowlsby said athletics administrators are "spending a lot of time talking about" and need to figure out. Meanwhile, the Knight Commission called on the CFP to "allocate more of its revenue to schools based on their academic performance; to add a current or former athlete to its board of managers; and to make an annual allocation of funds to support programs aimed at increasing the number of minorities" in coaching and AD jobs. Bowlsby: "The professionals are being paid and amateurs are doing it for the love of the game. And both of those are different than the college athletic environment." He added, "We typically categorize athletes as professionals or amateurs, right? And I don't think (college athletes) are either. I think it's a complete(ly) different genre of its own. Doesn't exist anyplace else in the world where higher education and sports participation are linked, are co-curricular -- and that makes it different." Bowlsby said that he was "aware of the legal contentiousness surrounding these definitions" (USATODAY.com, 5/1).
