Academic Excellence On The Chopping Block at Rutgers: A Brain Drain For Financial Gain

By Brent Rutemiller

PHOENIX, Arizona, February 5. IN a letter to all the coaches at Rutgers University, Robert Mulcahy once wrote, "As you know, academics are very high on my list of priorities and I truly admire the coach who can instill a sense of academic pride in his team of student athletes."

He was referring to an academic award bearing his title as the Director's Excellence Award. Yet recent events prove the hypocrisy in his statement through his action to eliminate the very teams that have produced the athletes who have earned his praise.

You be the judge:
* In November, 2006, 10 Rutgers male student-athletes were inducted into the New Jersey Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society, which honors varsity student-athletes in their junior or senior years with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. Of the 10 inductees, five were from the eliminated teams.

* In 2005, 26 Rutgers male athletes were inducted into the New Jersey Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma. Eighteen of those 26 athletes were from the eliminated teams.

* Although the male athletes on the eliminated teams represent under 30 percent of Rutgers' total male athletes, collectively, for 2005 and 2006 (the first two years for Rutgers to participate in Chi Alpha Sigma), 60 percent of Rutgers' selected male student-athletes were from eliminated teams.

* In 2004-05, the eliminated teams represented the top four male athletic teams in GPA, and in 2005-06 were four of the top five teams, with a collective GPA more than 3.0. The cumulative GPA for the women's fencing team was even higher. These teams had an NCAA-measured Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 100 percent. The remaining male athletic teams had a collective GPA of more than 2.6 and an NCAA-measured Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of about 70 percent.

* The eliminated teams have been repeatedly recognized for the highest GPAs. For six out of the past 10 years, one of the eliminated teams received the Director's Excellence Award for having the highest GPA of all 30 varsity teams.

* Members of these teams are consistently on the Dean's List. A disproportionate number are Bloustein Scholars, National Society of Collegiate Scholars members, honors and high-honors students, Academic All-Americans, Big East Academic All-Stars and Chi Alpha Sigma members. Athletes from the eliminated teams have been recipients of a National Merit Scholarship, the President's Award (4.0 average), the Governor's Award (Scholar-Athlete more than once), the Athletic Director's Excellence Award, and Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, have been inducted into the Cap and Skull Honor Society (only 18 inductees annually), and have graduated as valedictorians, to name only a few of the academic awards received by members of these teams.

Robert Mulcahy failed to consider the academic achievements of the teams he has recommended for elimination. As Rutgers is the only public university in the State of New Jersey offering these Division I sports, these stellar student-athletes have no alternative but to leave the state, their families, friends, and school of choice, if they want to pursue both their athletic passion and academic goals.

A brain drain for financial gain!

Information provided by the Coalition to Save Our Sports ("SOS")

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