Coming to a Conclusion

So how far have we come from 1968 to 2011? Has racism been left out of college sports? Do student athletes succeed more or less pass the NCAA?

I think it is safe to say that racism does still exist in the NCAA. But, I don't think that is in relation to proposition 16 or proposition 48. Whether we like it or not stereotypes continue to haunt us all, and it doesn't help that the media surrounds us with false images on a daily basis.

I think a big part of the racist argument for propositions 48 and 16 was that it was trying to leave certain "types" of students out of the chance to receive higher education. But isn't "weeding" people out by grades what we have always done. In high school I know that for myself personally based on my marks I was not allowed into certain "honors" courses. At the time I was offended by these things because I thought I deserved the same opportunity to learn more and learn harder material. But now looking back on that it hasn't really affected me at all. If people want to attend university they have to work really hard to get there, and if you set your mind on something you can achieve it.

I do not believe that setting a higher SAT cut off point and a higher GPA average is racist. I think it is smart. It helps students understand what they are getting themselves into. Although I think that there could be a better system than using the SAT, I do understand why it is implemented (because it is universally the same). Striving for academic excellence is a good thing and I believe that the NCAA is trying to push their future athletes to be the best they can be. The NCAA wants to make sure that when university is over, the students who don't make it to the pro's still go on to be successful professionals in other fields, and if academics are not stressed then that is not possible.

In the past African American students were scoring the lowest on their SAT scores but now its not only that specific population of students. Many different racial groups struggle on the SAT including a percentage of white students. I don't believe the problem is with how smart you are but with how well you can take a standardized test. How can someone say that black students are worse at taking standardized tests than others? I think that is absolutely ridiculous. SAT prep courses are offered at a majority of the high schools in the United States and some are free. Therefore it IS possible for every one to prepare on an equal level.

For the student-athlete today graduation rates are at an all time high! In 2003 almost 80% of all student athletes graduated within the NCAA schools, compared to 76% in 1998. Obviously the regulations that the NCAA are putting in place are helping athletes to succeed on a higher level. I truly believe the proposition 16 and proposition 48 have strived to make EVERY student have a bright future, no matter what race they are. Instead of viewing it as setting standards for freshman student athletes, I think it should be seen as setting GOALS for freshman student athletes. The act of goal setting should be applied to everyone at a young age, in turn instilling drive in young individuals to excel in academics, and create promising futures for themselves.