Stoops: Education culture grows in football
Bob Stoops says there are few Sooner football players he has to stay on top of academically. That wasn’t always the case. “Ten years ago, I bet I had maybe 30 percent I had to chase around,” Stoops said of his early OU days. “It was 50 percent when I was in school (at Iowa), and I was one of ‘em. The culture has changed. I bet now, it’s two percent I really have to chase.”
Talk about your fundamental differences between college football and basketball. The NBA’s age restrictions — players must be a year removed from their high school graduating class — have created a rash of college players who have no desire to be on a college campus. And the NFL’s rule (three years removed from high school) creates a culture of players much more aligned with a commitment to education.
One more reason why the college hardwood is a cesspool compared to the gridiron.
“Selfishly, you’d say you’d like ‘em here for four years,” Stoops said of players. “But I’m OK with it (the three-year minimum) … I think it is good. Guys can earn a degree or get within a semester or two, then it’s not insurmountable,” Stoops said of graduating.
The case of Tommy Mason-Griffin, the OU point guard who left school after spring break and announced he was turning pro, has provided local focus to the problem. College basketball would be much better off if players were allowed to seek NBA employment immediately after high school. Guys who have no desire to be in college shouldn’t be compelled to spend even a semester on a campus.
Meanwhile, college football doesn’t have that kind of problem. Guys who show up do so knowing they’ve got to spend at least three years there. OU is not unlike most college football programs; attending class and making grades and progressing towards a degree is not optional.
Stoops says the players who stay four or five years graduate at about a 90 percent rate. And even the players who take off for the NFL after three years have an enhanced experience. “Go tour our learning center, what’s available to them,” he said. “I believe there’s value in at least three years, get them around the culture of education. Maybe some guys even flourish.”
And Stoops said he’s not saying OU is unusual. “That culture across the country, I feel, has changed.” Stoops said he’s never fought the NCAA’s requirements toward degree progress.
“If my guys can’t go to class, they’re not going to play,” Stoops said. “You just can’t do it. The basket-weaving courses aren’t there anymore. We all have support systems. Even if a guy is behind where he should be, there’s enough support. If he tries, he can get degree.”
Stoops said he tells players up front about academic expectations. “When I sit in conference with ‘em, we let ‘em know how hard we work, what our class policy is,” Stoops said. “If you don’t go to class, you’re not going to play. I want guys to understand.”
Stoops was hesitant to address the basketball situation, since he’s not really involved, but he admitted there would be some natural problems with a system in which a first-year player is tempted to leave. “I would guess as soon as the season’s over, a bunch of guys drop their classes,” Stoops said.
“The other part, a player who stays three years, he has an allegiance, a pride, a loyalty to the program. That usually isn’t built in one semester. I know it’s not. Our guys that are here three years, they come back and see their pictures on the wall, they bring their families back, they’re part of something. They’re more tied to the fan base, to the team, to the school when they’re there three years.”
Football remains above some of the inherent problems of basketball because most everything still goes through the high schools in football. Basketball recruiting has become a summer phenomenon. Scouting is mostly done in the summer. Players are more aligned with AAU coaches and non-school representatives. That has led to one big mess.
“We”re tied to the schools, which I think is really a good thing,” Stoops said. “We’re only allowed to go to school events. Football coaches, we have done a lot trying to be proactive. Hopefully don’t get tied to those (summer) things. We want to work with the high schools. High school coaches, high school administrators, athletes and their families.”
Basketball would be better off without the NBA’s rule requiring a year removal from high school. Allowing players to go straight to the NBA would improve the educational culture that Stoops talks about.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Stoops has had his share of problems, but not to the extent that Capel has
had. Going to class and staying eligible and working toward a degree are
noble statements, but, getting a degree and staying 4 years would be a better
outline for participants in an athletic program. OF course Stoops recruits with
the promise of leaving early to the Pro’s if you would be a high draft choice.
With that used as a recruiting tool, it tells me that some of the quotes in this
article from him are 100% BS. At least he knows how to talk the talk. When the
gist of the article revolves around 3 years that also contradicts his interest
in the athlete getting a degree.
[...] And the Land Thieves dropped all the basket weaving courses. [...]