Day One of the '13 IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum included a panel featuring the commissioners of the five power conferences: Bob Bowlsby (Big 12), Jim Delany (Big Ten), Larry Scott (Pac-12), Mike Slive (SEC) and John Swofford (ACC). Below are some highlights from the panel.
- On reform in the NCAA and giving the biggest conferences more flexibility:
Slive: "Our 65 presidents agree that we need to change things for our student athletes. Change is necessary. A more streamlined NCAA legislative process is essential. We have issues that are unique to us and I believe other colleagues agree with that."
Bowlsby: "We're seeking a more nimble organization, an organization that has systems that facilitate moving legislation through the system in an efficient way. That's what we are all seeking. (The current NCAA structure) is no longer meeting the needs of a majority of the member institutions."
Delany: “The only thing it seems you can't do today is to do right by the student athlete. If we can achieve that, we can all play together ... and grow together. "
- On whether college athletes should be paid to play:
Bowlsby: "If we go down that path to establish an employer /employee relationship, we will forever severe the relationship between higher education and core circular activity on campus. If we go down that way, we will forever have lost our way"
Scott: “So much of the media narrative is around the notion that athletes are getting a raw deal. We are on campuses with 7,000 athletes, and anyone who sees the student athletes and talks to them (doesn’t come away) with a sense that they think they are getting a raw deal. They are thrilled with the opportunity. We see everyday how thankful student athletes are."
Swofford: "Everything should be educationally connected. It's still a collegiate model and most want to keep it that way, but at the same time enhance the scholarship in a way that helps our student athletes."
