Big-time college athletes want a mandatory rest period following road trips, at least two weeks off after their traditional playing season ends, and a chance to spend additional time away from their sport for internships and study-abroad opportunities. Many coaches say they support such changes, according to findings from a recent survey conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
A majority of coaches and administrators said they supported a period with no scheduled sports activities following their primary playing season. They also expressed a willingness to allow athletes to participate in educational or career-development activities — something many players historically have avoided, for fear of losing their scholarships or seeing a reduction in playing time.
Football and men’s basketball coaches were less supportive of scheduled downtime than were coaches in other sports, according to people briefed on the results, which included responses from some 44,000 Division I athletes, 3,000 head coaches, and 200 athletic directors.
The survey — which was done in collaboration with the NCAA’s Division I Council, the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the five most-powerful leagues — asked several dozen questions about how much time athletes should spend playing their sports, the way those hours should be counted, and how so-called off-season activities should be regulated.
Many players spend 40 or more hours a week on their sports with little time off between seasons. Some athletes think the emphasis on athletics is too great, but others say they want to dedicate even more time to their sports.
The findings, which will be used to inform potential NCAA rule changes that could be enacted as soon as next year, should help dispel the idea that administrators and coaches have little regard for players and the many hours they spend on their sports, says Kendall Spencer, a former long jumper at the University of New Mexico and chair of the NCAA’s Division I athlete-advisory committee.
“Before, there was this huge concern that administrators and coaches and student-athletes wanted to be smack dab in the middle of their sport every day, 24/7,” he says. “We’re seeing that that’s not the case, and that coaches and administrators are supportive of having student-athletes do other things.”
Arbitrary Numbers
Among the most challenging issues for colleges will be determining how to set appropriate limits on organized practice and competition. NCAA rules limit teams to 20 hours a week of organized practice and play. But those limits are regularly exceeded.
Football games, for example, count as three hours of athletic activity, no matter how much time players put in. (Travel to and from games and the many hours of pregame preparation involved in such contests do not count toward the 20-hour limit.)
Many athletes who responded to the survey said they would like a minimum of seven hours of rest after returning from road trips. Players sometimes have to practice soon after returning from games, and they find it difficult to regulate their schedules because their coaches change their practice plans without much notice.
Players were also interested in having a week to 10 days off during their playing season, a break that some programs could consider taking during midterms or finals, says Jim Phillips, vice president for athletics at Northwestern University and chair of the Division I Council.
“It’s certainly more complicated because everyone’s school year runs differently,” he says. “But it’s something we can figure out.”
Next Steps
There was little support, however, for reducing the number of athletics contests or the frequency of midweek, nonconference games.
But critics say that unless athletics programs are willing to cut back on their playing seasons or travel less widely for games, they will continue to put a strain on athletes.
“There’s no willingness to say, You know what? Maybe we don’t have to play 56 baseball games,” says Michael Cross, an assistant athletic director at Pennsylvania State University. He says athletics leaders should focus on what is the optimum number of contests that should be played in each sport to provide a meaningful experience for athletes.
In the coming months, Mr. Phillips says, his committee plans to spend more time reviewing the rules related to playing and practice seasons, how athletic departments schedule games, and how programs operate in the summer.
“Summer used to be for student-athletes who were trying to make up work or maybe didn’t do as well during the year,” he says. “Now summer has a completely different meaning. It has helped put our student-athletes ahead when it comes to graduation.
“But what should time demands in the summer look like?” he asks. “Would we be better served by having students do other things?”
Brad Wolverton is a senior writer who covers college sports. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @bradwolverton, or email him at brad.wolverton@chronicle.com.
