What is the Role of College Athletics?

The role of athletics on California’s community college campuses is an undefined gray area.  It is an ongoing debate in regards to limited resources and the broader mission of a higher education institution.  Leaders are balancing resources between athletic departments and the greater student body (in conjunction with the communities they serve).  In big time athletics, the revenue generation of programs can justify their existence but this is not the case in California’s 113 public community colleges.  As resources become more limited, educational leaders must question (and answer) the role of athletics in their institution.

Compliance and enforcement of policies is an essential component to athletics in community colleges.  College rules govern academic eligibility, ethics, and conduct of student athletes and programs.  There are incidents of egregious violations as in the case of the University of North Carolina or Penn State University which can be attributed to failures in leadership and enforcement.  There are also incidents in California community colleges that raise the question of compliance.  Bakersfield College had to vacate its 2012 state title for a myriad of California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) infractions.  Taft College eventually had to cut all of its athletic programs due to lawsuits, infractions, and lack of compliance (Evans, 2014).  No level of college athletics is immune from the ills of noncompliance or the lack of oversight.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has implemented reforms (effective Fall 2016) which community colleges must adhere to and adapt their policies to properly align.  Community college athletics directors and educational leaders must formulate rules and procedures to inform and support their student athletes to be eligible to transfer.  Under the new NCAA policy, community college transfers are required to have a 2.6 grade point average (GPA) in core courses and make sufficient progress towards a degree (15 core credits per semester) to be immediately eligible.  This policy change is supported by research (Paskus, 2012) stating that GPA is the most significant indicator in determining degree completion among student athletes transferring from community college to a four year institution.  The reforms on academic eligibility are historically significant because they are the first policy changes the NCAA has implemented that are supported by empirical research (Petr & McArdle, 2012).

Community college student athletes intending to participate in athletics fall into two categories as transfers to NCAA member institutions.  They are considered either Qualifiers or Non-Qualifiers.  Qualifiers are immediately eligible for athletic participation based on academic performance prior to full time higher education matriculation (i.e. high school).  They have already met the NCAA eligibility standards, which are based on GPA and SAT/ACT scores (sliding scale).  Non-Qualifiers are student athletes that do not meet academic eligibility requirements prior to higher education matriculation.  They are not eligible to immediately participate in NCAA Division I or II athletics (institutions that offer scholarships).  Non-Qualifiers attain NCAA initial eligibility status by graduating from a community college with an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree.

Previously, community college student athletes seeking to transfer to Division I or II institutions were required to successfully complete an average of 12 credits per full time semester with a 2.5 GPA (transferrable credits only).  The last semester prior to transfer, the transfer student was also required to have completed at least 6 credits.  Currently, a Qualifier is required to complete one full time semester while a Non-Qualifier is required to complete at least 3 full time semesters and attain an AA or AS degree (with at least 48 transferrable credits) prior to matriculation at an NCAA institution.

Under the new policy, Qualifiers and Non-Qualifiers are required to average 15 credits per full time semester.  The number of Physical Education (PE) classes that can transfer to NCAA member institutions has been limited to 2 credits.  Limiting PE classes prevents community college student athletes from augmenting their GPA by enrolling in “jock classes” to remain eligible for participation by requiring them to make progress towards a degree.  The biggest change in policy is the 2.6 GPA requirement in core classes (6 units in Math, 6 units in English, and 3 units in Science).  This GPA requirement is higher than the 2.3 GPA requirement for student athletes seeking athletic participation as Qualifiers out of high school and is the highest standard ever imposed on community college student athletes.  The NCAA reforms are requiring community colleges athletic programs to revisit policies, academic advising, and resources allocated to student athletes seeking to continue their athletic careers and, hopefully, attain an athletic scholarship.