University presidents and chancel lors are of ten “ill-equipped” to operate large Division I athletic programs, according to departing UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp.
At a panel on sports and academics hosted by UNC-CH Friday, Thorp also said he didn’t have all the tools to run a program as large as North Carol ina’s when he was first hired in 2008. But when the NCAA’s investigation picked up steam in 2010, matters of athletics began to absorb his day-to-day duties.
The chancellor and UNC-CH are still recovering from the fallout of a multifaceted scandal that stretched from academic fraud in the Department of African and Afro American Studies to impermissible benefits for athletes. The scandal cost Thorp his job, which ends July 1.
In the wake of UNC’s troubles, N.C. State is tackling the questions raised when it comes to what entity of the University should take responsibility for what occurs within the athletics department aside from the University’s athletic director.
N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson said his responsibility to the Department of Athletics is similar to that of a chief operating officer running a corporation. All of the tasks within the organization are delegated, but eventually everything will go through the chancellor.
“If we truly believe — and we do — that our student-athletes are students first and athletes second, then the chancellor has to be an integral part of athletics,” Woodson said.
This is done because the athletics department is what the University is most known for to people outside N.C. State.
But is this the best business model for a collegiate athletics program — especially one that competes in the power-six conferences?
When a scandal that transcends the athletics department occurs, the public has a tendency to not only point a finger at the athletics director, but other high-ranking university officials as well.
The problem is that those in power tend to point a finger right back at the athletics director to wipe their hands of the situation.
High-ranking university officials should have more involvement in the day-to-day functions of the athletics department. If a chancellor, university president or any other university official is going to take a position at a power-six conference school, they must be prepared to take on the responsibilities that come with being at the helm of a large athletics department.
Yes, the athletics director should be the initial point of contact for any issues in the athletics department, but other university officials should also be well prepared to take on these responsibilities. Whether any chancellor or president likes it or not, the athletics department is the largest projection of a university’s image.
The primary responsibility of the Chancellor Woodson and Board of Trustees is to ensure that each student is given a quality education. But they must also be mindful of the branding involved in a power-six conference school. They must ensure that the “student” in “student-athlete” is respected and be willing to accept responsibility for the shortcomings of the athletics department.