This is only peripherally related to hockey, but I thought it was a bit
interesting.  As part of the NC$$'s drive toward "reform" in college ath-
letics, those coaches who are involved in recruiting at NC$$ institutions
are apparently now required to take a "certification exam" on NC$$ rules and
regulations (this started last year).  According to a piece in the _Post-
Standard_, this test consists of 40 multiple-choice or true-false questions
on the NC$$ rules book -- a 500-page monument to complexity and contra-
diction.  Anyone who does not answer at least 80% of the questions correctly
loses the right to do off-campus recruiting.  The article did not mention
what a coach could do to get that right restored -- I'd guess the only
option would be to retake the test the following year and hope for a higher
score.  Last year, one in ten coaches nationwide flunked the test.
 
I'd be interested in hearing what other coaches, ADs, etc. think of this
thing.  On the one hand, the near-constant uncovering of violations in one
college athletic program or another probably indicates that a test like this
is a necessity.  NC$$ compliance specialist Garnet Purnell was quoted in the
_Post-Standard_ as saying, "Because of the test, coaches cannot use the
excuse that they're ignorant of the rules [when violations are committed]."
While it's a bit much to ask a 40-question test to make those who take it
instant masters of the NC$$ rule book, it's a step in the right direction.
But on the other hand, the test places yet another burden on college coaching
staffs, who are already plenty busy trying to win games and at the same time
(in most cases) run clean programs and keep their athletes at least academic-
ally eligible.  Besides that, the test does not help address what can be a
major source of rules violations -- college booster organizations.  No, I
don't suggest that the NC$$ test all boosters (I doubt they have jurisdiction
in that area), but perhaps it might not be a bad idea to pass along old copies
of the tests to the various booster organizations.
 
(Today, by the way, was the first day of the NC$$ certification exam here at
Cornell.  Apparently, the exam is not given at the same time at all NC$$
institutions, for what that's worth.  The Syracuse coaches did theirs last
week.)
 
Thoughts?
--
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and probably '94
LET'S GO RED!!
"I've had a wonderful evening -- but this wasn't it."
-- Groucho Marx