NCAA Challenge

How has the NCAA frustrating school reformers, families and students throughout the country? The NCAA has told outstanding high school student/athletes around the country that their participation in college sports will be delayed or denied because the NCAA rejected as few as one of their high school courses. Some of the students involved have been class valedictorians or National Merit Scholars. The NCAA also has frustrated educators all over the country by telling them that their research-based courses are not acceptable preparation for college! (Like who appointed the NCAA to be the great school board in the sky, especially since it has not demanded the right to approve courses of its own members - universities - as it has demanded to do of high schools).

The best news is that after 4 years of intense challenges by a vast array of educators, families and some of the nation's leading newspapers, the NCAA has made major improvements in the way it deals with high schools and students. This section has three documents explaining the situation.

• A guest column by Joe Nathan published in the Sacramento Bee in 1998. For more information, click here .
• A statement signed by more than 100 national high school reform leaders, challenging the NCAA. An article about this statement appeared in USA Today.
• A column by Joe Nathan, published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on January 31, 2000, describing progress that had been made in this fascinating struggle. For more information.