As NCAA college basketball heads for the Final Four, the overall public voiced discontent over a number of issues related to the sport.
57% felt the proposal by Education Secretary Arne Duncan – that a 40% graduation rate be imposed to make a team tournament eligible – should be higher, with only 19% saying there should be no requirement.
- 76% felt that, some, most, or almost all colleges break the rules in recruiting athletes.
- 59% felt that it hurts the game when players leave school early to turn pro.
- 77% felt that coaches – both basketball and football – should be more tightly supervised by their universities.
More than 1 in 4 – 28% – think that college basketball players intentionally influence the outcome of games because of gambling interests.
“These results run consistent to polling in previous years,” said Gentile. “People tend to want the college experience to be more about college than a training ground for professional athletes.”