Reducing game time a laughable solution

I heard a proposal recently that offered a solution to a problem that was so far off the mark I had to wonder if it was a joke.

The Men's Basketball Enhancement Group proposed the NCAA trim the college basketball schedule by a single game. The reason, the proposal said was "to reduce missed class time during the playing season and promote better academic performance for men's basketball student-athletes."

When I read this I actually laughed out loud.

One or two more days in class is going to improve the academic performance of college athletes? Are you serious? Which athletes are they talking about? How did they come to this conclusion? And did they consider — at all — that they are creating bigger issues than they'll ever solve with this proposal?

About the only part of this assertion I agree with is that college administrators should be concerned with improving the academic success of student athletes.

The biggest issue with the proposal is that it doesn't solve the problem it seeks to remedy.

Eliminating a game won't help those students who struggle academically. That is a battle the NCAA might want to start fighting a little earlier, even in high school, and in ways that actually address study habits and time management rather than fewer game times.

The proposal might save a college a little money from the travel budget, but it could also cost colleges in that they lose the gate for one of the sports that actually makes money for the institution.

Maybe the proposal is simply the work of people who wouldn't recognize what high school and college sports have become.

Maybe the Men's Basketball Enhancement Group doesn't realize that for student athletes, there are no seasons anymore.

Oh, sure, official practices might start on a certain date, but any college athlete (and high school for that matter) will tell you they are training, both in the weight room and on the field, for the season all year long.

Off-season just means officials workouts end.

Out-of-season just means student athletes train on their own or in leagues or groups organized by coaches.

There is no major competitive sport that doesn't require a year-round commitment. And this constant commitment to "train" isn't confined to college athletes.

Two weeks ago I talked to a high school coach who said one of his volleyball players was being asked to try out for a club volleyball team before the high school season had even ended. Club volleyball tournaments aren't even played until spring, and yet coaches need these kids to commit six months earlier?