UO body to vote on athletic reform.

Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard

The University of Oregon Senate is scheduled to decide today whether to endorse a national call for reforms in intercollegiate athletics, bringing full circle an issue that began with faculty turmoil over the expansion of Autzen Stadium.

The framework document is part of a sweeping effort begun by faculty to rein in spending and curb abuses in college sports. University senates in all the major athletic conferences are considering the document, and dozens already have endorsed it.

The UO Senate meets at 3 p.m. today in Room 100 of Willamette Hall. A vote on a motion to endorse the resolution is scheduled for the latter part of the meeting.

Drawn up by the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, the framework document calls for changes in academic requirements for student-athletes, changes in season schedules to give athletes more time for classes and greater faculty participation in athletics governance. It also seeks financial reforms aimed at lowering costs and reducing commercialization of college sports.

Endorsement of the resolution acts as a statement of faculty support for athletics reform but is not legally binding on the university. COIA also has support from a national organization of university trustees as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the American Association of University Professors in its drive for change.

The faculty movement got its start at the UO when English professor James Earl, upset over the surprise announcement in 2000 of an Autzen Stadium expansion that would end up costing $90 million, authored a resolution calling for restraint on athletic spending as well as other reforms. The UO Senate approved the resolution, and many other West Coast universities soon followed suit.

As the movement gained steam, faculty across the country took up the call and eventually formed COIA. Earl helped found the group and serves as its co-chairman, although he plans to step down soon.

Since then, the coalition has made surprising inroads in the reform movement and found allies where it didn't expect them. It has joined with the trustees group and the NCAA to form the Alliance for Athletic Reform, held national forums and last month met with a group of college athletic directors, where they found more agreement than disagreement.

With support growing, the coalition plans to press its call for reform and work with the NCAA on new rules to help implement some of its goals.

ON THE INTERNET

A copy of the COIA framework for athletic reform is available on the Web at www.math.umd.edu/~jmc/COIA/Framework.html.