U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will hold a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness press call on Thursday, March 21, to discuss the need to strike a healthier balance between academics and athletics in college sports. Duncan will highlight progress that has been made in establishing minimal academic benchmarks for post-season tournament eligibility, but also will urge college presidents and trustees to better balance incentives in coaches’ contracts in the future to support the educational mission of their institutions. Richard Lapchick, University of Central Florida’s director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports; Tom McMillen, former Maryland congressman and University of Maryland basketball star; and Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), will join Duncan on the call.
Members of the press who wish to join the call may dial (888) 603-9624.