Canham says the combination of changing times societally and presidents who have, by NCAA decree, tightened their grip on athletic departments is a no-win situation. Bollinger sees it differently. We confer to the athletic department the autonomy it needs, same as we do the law school, or the medical school. Bollinger, however, understands there are dramatic differences in how athletics are perceived at a school such as Michigan. The problem for presidents and ADs today is that college athletics can disproportionately color a school's image.
People assume if bad things are happening in the athletic department, they're happening elsewhere.
Taking charge DiBiaggio has a certain relevance to the Ann Arbor debate. He served a decade ago on the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a blue-ribbon panel of educators commissioned by the NCAA to ensure that academics, and not athletics, were running universities. Put presidents back in charge of athletics. Tom did he ran through the board. He understood that principle because of his own business background, having to deal with a board of directors.