Balancing academics and athletics the focus of Vanderbilt symposium

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Athletic conference representatives, coaches,
athletic directors and academic leaders will gather at Vanderbilt
University on Feb. 10 to discuss some of the most contentious issues
surrounding college athletics today.

“The State of College Athletics: Striking a Precarious Balance” will
consider whether NCAA Division I schools can support successful
athletic programs while meeting the academic needs of the
student-athlete.

The all-day symposium, which is free and open to the public, is
presented by the Journal of Entertainment Law and Practice, a
Vanderbilt Law School journal that addresses legal issues in sports,
music, film, television and the Internet.

The symposium will consist of four panel discussions featuring
representatives of all sides of the discussions in what promise to be
lively conversations.

“Are We Playing By the Rules? A Debate Over the Need for NCAA
Regulation Reform” will feature Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference
commissioner; Gene Marsh of the University of Alabama Law School and
chair of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions; Linda
Bensel-Meyers, formerly of the University of Tennessee and now
executive director of The Drake Group, a collective of faculty
proponents of college athletic reform; and Len Elmore, a member of The
Knight Commission and ESPN basketball analyst. The session, to be
moderated by Robert Covington, Vanderbilt professor of law, is
scheduled from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

“Is the System Flawed? Legal Ramifications of the Bowl Championship
Series and Conference Alignment” will feature Jim Delany, Big Ten
Conference commissioner; Gary Roberts of Tulane University Law School;
Andrew Sorensen, president of the University of South Carolina; and
Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt‘s head football coach. The panel will be
moderated by David Williams, vice chancellor for student life and
university affairs at Vanderbilt. It is scheduled from 10:45 a.m. to
12:15 p.m.

“Is Title IX Working? The Struggle for Race and Gender Equality in
Intercollegiate Athletics” will feature Larry Templeton, Mississippi
State University‘s athletic director; Bernard Franklin, the NCAA‘s
senior vice president for governance and membership; Cathy Swezey,
women‘s lacrosse coach at Vanderbilt; and Welch Suggs, who covers
athletics for the Chronicle of Higher Education and is author of the
forthcoming A Place on the Team, a book examining the impact of Title
IX on women‘s athletics. The panel will be moderated by Patricia Pierce
of Vanderbilt‘s Opportunity Development Center. It is scheduled from
1:30 to 3 p.m.

“Which Comes First — the Student or the Athlete? Balancing the Demands
of the Classroom and the Playing Field” will feature Mitch Barnhart,
the University of Kentucky‘s athletic director; David Williams of
Vanderbilt; Kevin Stallings, men‘s basketball coach at Vanderbilt; and
Karin Lee, assistant athletic director for life skills and community
outreach at the University of Alabama. The session, to be moderated by
Vanderbilt Professor of Law Tracey George, is scheduled from 3:15 to
4:45 p.m.

All sessions are in the Bennett Miller Room of the Vanderbilt Law
School and will consist of opening remarks by each panelist, discussion
among the speakers and questions from the audience.

For more information about the symposium, go to http://law.vanderbilt.edu/about/news/2005/02_04c.pdf.

Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu

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