Limited Practice Time = Dumb

Division I athletes are limited as to how many hours per week they may practice by NCAA laws.  These restrictions lead to all sorts of thinly veiled circumventions like "Captain's Practice," and unofficial workouts.  Here's my question...

Wouldn't it seem odd if a university (or association thereof) placed restrictions on how many hours a week students were allowed to spend at the library?  How many hours they would be allowed to read or research or spend in study groups? 

If one student wants to get a leg up on his/her peers and spends the summer taking extra classes to get ahead (and the student is able to do this because (s)he is sufficiently financially situated so as not to need a job to pay for books come fall), doesn't that create the same sort of purportedly unfair playing field as athletes who want to practice in the off-season? 

What do you all think?  Are limited practice times a good idea?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

Agreed Howey

The dumbest thing I've ever heard!!

That's like saying there is quotas in hiring and enrollments so there should be racial and gender quotas in sports as well.

we don't want the best, we want to be fair so everybody gets to win a crystal football at the end of the season. "Johnny did you get your gold medal?" "here take one of these, you can wear it while you play your video games all day."

I think it is good to limit the schools requirement on the STUDENT-athelete so they can get a chance to actaully and realistically be a real college student and get a real education. Perhaps that was the intention of the rule, but to limit an athelete's ability to practice and improve themselves is dumb. Your analogy of limiting of studying time hits the nail on the head.

Having played hoops, I don't know that I completely disagree How.

THere ARE restrictions on summer classes for students looking to "get ahead."  Most schools have a policy that you can only take a certain number of credit hours in the summer if you are below a particular GPA.  I think it's around 3.5...so only top notch students proven capable of handling the load are allowed to take a full slate. 

Now, you're talking about organized practices, so much like these students...a kid with a 2.4 can go study 50 hours a week at the library if he chooses to, he just can't take say, 12 credit hours over the summer.  Likewise, no one's telling these kids they can't lift, run the track, or get in extra jumpers @ the gym.  It's just referring to organized practices.

THe NCAA seems to take a very dim view of anything potentially giving the appearance that sports are more important than athletics, even though we know the NCAA privately looks the other way.  Having rules like this keep the guise of "student-athlete" rather than "athlete-student."  And you're talking about a very tiny percentile that really has the potential to play professionally, where extra workouts are gonna benefit the kid in his upcoming career...

The issue is how hard can you work the student athlete?

The rule was the best way to address programs that require the kid to donate all their time to the team or sport. I can't think of a better way to put limits in place. I just don't see other enforceable measures. 

I do not really believe big time programs adhere to most of these rules. Like you mention they call practices everything but team drills to avoid the appearance of violations and the NCAA is happy to go along with it.