VOICES-I commend the Pac-12 for demonstrating its commitment to the health and education of the thousands of student-athletes who compete for their institutions each year.
Collegiate sports is a multi-billion dollar industry. The profits are the product of the hard work and sacrifice of student-athletes. The newly adopted Pac-12 reforms are an important step forward and should be a minimum standard for the NCAA.
Neither injury nor poverty should dim the dreams of a student-athlete pursuing a college degree, particularly when their performance has enriched their college and the NCAA.
I call on the other conferences and the NCAA to adopt similar standards protecting all student-athletes. It is time for the NCAA to recognize its moral responsibility to student-athletes, raise its standards, and live up to its stated mission.
The Pac-12’s action is a bold step forward and sends a clear message to the rest of the NCAA.
(Alex Padilla is California State Senator and candidate for Secretary of State.)
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 88
Pub: Oct 31, 2014
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