Air Ball

Air Ball: American Education’s Failed Experiment with Elite Athletics, by John R. Gerdy (2006)

Gerdy has seen college athletics from every angle. He played basketball at the college and professional level, and then went on to work as a legislative assistant for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and as an associate commissioner for the Southeastern Conference.

In Air Ball, his fourth book on American sport, Gerdy doesn’t rehash the scandals that have plagued big-time Division I football and basketball programs. The problems within the current system are well documented and affect institutions at all levels, he says, as he details the many ways the current state of college athletics undermines higher education and the broader community.

The author believes that college athletics too closely mirror the professional game, robbing students of study time as well as a chance to truly integrate with the campus as a whole. The focus on elite sport teams also pushes many to watch sports rather than actively participate at a time when obesity has emerged as one of society’s greatest challenges.

The author proposes a number of specific reforms that are certain to promote heated discussion. Gerdy proposes that game times be pushed up, even when that means that some teams won’t be able to play in prime time. He proposes a limit on eligibility in the freshman year to allow new students the opportunity to focus on academics and to transition to college life. Gerdy’s most drastic measure is the elimination the athletic scholarship. The current arrangement is too close to the professional model of pay for play, he says. This, along with the high costs of travel, coaches’ salaries, and tutors for athletes, undermines the credibility of institutions of higher education.

The author addresses a number of the sacred cows of coaches and athletic directors, among them the assertion by some that reform would lead to a drastic decline in the quality of play. He believes that these concerns are secondary to the issue of determining whether athletics compliment the mission of the university. Gerdy asserts that nothing less than a complete transformation of sports programs will accomplish this. Failing that, they must be abolished altogether.

Informing and provocative, Gerdy’s book should be required reading for educators, college administrators and anyone else who is concerned about the state and role of athletics in higher education. Highly recommended.