The University of Wisconsin Athletic Board focused discussion at Friday's meeting on finding ways UW-Madison can improve the athletic department, highlighting the need to increase and maintain student welfare.
Athletic Board Chair Dale Bjorling said he recently attended the National Collegiate Athletic Association convention in San Diego where conversation centered on the governing of college athletic programs.
Bjorling said he thinks to maintain the strength of conferences such as the Big Ten, which UW-Madison is a part of, there needs to be more support given from NCAA.
“To support student athletes at their institutions, [the conferences] need more latitude than is currently allowed by the NCAA,” Bjorling said.
According to Bjorling, the idea to lend more support to the larger conferences was not well received by the smaller conferences in attendance, as they felt it would put them at a disadvantage when it comes time to recruit.
Another topic brought up at the convention was concern on the amount of time players spend on their sport, Bjorling said.
“Most national surveys show that student athletes spend an average of 40 hours a week on their sport,” Bjorling said, though he mentioned this number was likely an underestimate.
Combined with class schedules, Bjorling estimated student athletes are occupied around 85 hours a week where they are busy with either school or sport, leaving little time for extracurricular activity. Bjorling said the NCAA commissioner urged schools to look at ways of ensuring more of a balance for students, so they can pursue endeavors like internships or other activities.
Faculty Athletic Rep. Sheila McGuirk, who was also in attendance in San Diego, said the NCAA is discussing the possibility of lessening the penalties associated with “street drug” abuse, such as alcohol and marijuana, which serve no purpose of enhancement.
McGuirk cited the current penalty of alcohol abuse is a year-long suspension and said there are plans to reduce that punishment to only half of a season.
The board also acknowledged the service and success of UW-Madison men’s golf coach Michael Burcin, who is currently in the middle of his third year as head coach.
Burcin said the team won the Academic All American award, as well as an award recognizing the team’s community service efforts.
“I don’t know how we’re going to play, but we’re going to get good grades and we’re going to give back to the community,” Burcin said.
The coach mentioned recruiting efforts, saying he is currently being contacted with students as young as in eighth grade. Burcin noted the team’s new Golf Training Center facility is a big attraction to golfers looking to play Division I golf, which he said, in his opinion is in the top five in the country.
The Athletic Board will have its next meeting Feb. 21.
