August 7, 200719 yr COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier blasted the school's admissions process, apologizing to two recruits who signed with the Gamecocks last winter and were denied academic entry this summer. "In my opinion, I still believe we made a mistake," Spurrier said Sunday. Spurrier had spoken with university president Andrew Sorensen and the two agreed, the coach said, that things needed to change. Spurrier was angered that receiver Michael Bowman of Wadesboro, N.C., and Arkee Smith of Jacksonville, Fla., were cleared by the NCAA to enroll, yet were turned down by the university. The rest of the Gamecocks football team officially reported Friday for preseason camp. "Hopefully, I truly believe this is the last year this is going to happen, because I can't operate like that," Spurrier said. "I can't operate misleading young men." Spurrier signed a contract extension, which included a raise of nearly a half-million dollars, that ties him to South Carolina through 2012. However, he said if things didn't change on admissions "then I have to go somewhere else, because I can't tell the young man that he's coming to school here," then not have him admitted. University spokesman Russ McKinney said Spurrier has been involved in talks with Sorensen and other administrators about refining the process of athletic admissions. "I think the university administration understands his frustration," McKinney said. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2962823 Isn't college still about an academic institution that you have to be admitted to? Should these kids even have to take classes? What if they got Fs in their entire time there?
August 7, 200719 yr It's perfectly understandable if he was given a standard to look for in recuits and that suddenly changes right onto him. Just about every coach is guilty of it, so let's not just jump on the guy for the sake of jumping on him just because he's a pompous ass
August 7, 200719 yr Author Agreed if he was given a standard. But those standards are pretty static, right? Plus I can't imagine how dumb these two must have been. Maybe it is so rare that he thinks it could never happen. A lot of dumb student athletes, not all student athletes, get into schools when their academics are well below standards. At Northwestern there were football players that were pretty dumb but had no trouble slipping in.
August 7, 200719 yr Yeah, agreeded. I've heard that essentially to be admitted to a big time program if you're a good enough athlete they can get you by with as low as an 800 the SAT, I don't know how true that is but wouldn't shock me.
August 7, 200719 yr If they can play football, who cares how dumb they are? This is the SEC, it doesn't matter what your school's academic standards are, if a guy can play football, let him go to school and take Coloring Within the Lines 101.
August 7, 200719 yr Author If they can play football, who cares how dumb they are? This is the SEC, it doesn't matter what your school's academic standards are, if a guy can play football, let him go to school and take Coloring Within the Lines 101. Why even have them take classes? Why not just hand them the diploma ahead of time?
August 7, 200719 yr If they can play football, who cares how dumb they are? This is the SEC, it doesn't matter what your school's academic standards are, if a guy can play football, let him go to school and take Coloring Within the Lines 101. Why even have them take classes? Why not just hand them the diploma ahead of time? COME ON! Where is the integrity in that, Chewy had it right.
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