Where have you gone Sheryl Swoopes, Raider Nation turns its lonely eyes to you. College Basketball March Madness started this week and neither the Tech Men’s basketball team nor the Lady-Raiders are participating in any post season play. I was initially disappointed that neither team had performed well enough during the regular season to warrant a bid to any tournament. However, a smart kid in my 7th grade class once said, “If everything in life were great, those things that were once great would only be good.” So while this season was not as successful as we had all hoped, our inevitable return to greatness under the strong leadership of Pat Knight and Kristy Curry will be valued to a greater extent because of the effort that will be required to build our programs back to the championship level that Lubbock was blessed with in 1993 when Sheryl Swoopes led the Lady Raiders to the National Championship.
With that said, I would like to point out that success at Tech is not measured simply on the court or field, but also in the classroom. A study last October examined the 4 year graduation rates of the Top 25 ranked schools in college football, and Texas Tech ranked third at 79%, behind only Vanderbilt (91%) and Wake Forest (83%). The average FBS 4-year graduation rate was 67%. Ironically, two schools rounding out two of the last three spots in the top 25 rankings w
ere Texas and Oklahoma at an appalling 50% and 48% graduation rate. So while these teams may have enjoyed participating in BCS bowl games last year, its clear they can’t carry Red Raider jocks when it comes to producing well rounded athletes that will contribute to society not only through sports, but also through education. NCAA statistics also revealed that the worst 4-year graduation rate of any FBS football team was San Jose St (52%) and the 4th lowest rate was Louisiana Monroe at (61%). I think Joe and Dave, Fans 4 Life of these two teams, should start academic scholarship programs at these schools in an effort to reach the greatness that is Texas Tech. Guns Up!!
With that said, I would like to point out that success at Tech is not measured simply on the court or field, but also in the classroom. A study last October examined the 4 year graduation rates of the Top 25 ranked schools in college football, and Texas Tech ranked third at 79%, behind only Vanderbilt (91%) and Wake Forest (83%). The average FBS 4-year graduation rate was 67%. Ironically, two schools rounding out two of the last three spots in the top 25 rankings w
ere Texas and Oklahoma at an appalling 50% and 48% graduation rate. So while these teams may have enjoyed participating in BCS bowl games last year, its clear they can’t carry Red Raider jocks when it comes to producing well rounded athletes that will contribute to society not only through sports, but also through education. NCAA statistics also revealed that the worst 4-year graduation rate of any FBS football team was San Jose St (52%) and the 4th lowest rate was Louisiana Monroe at (61%). I think Joe and Dave, Fans 4 Life of these two teams, should start academic scholarship programs at these schools in an effort to reach the greatness that is Texas Tech. Guns Up!!
Is that real? Sad. I was going to say that maybe the graduation rates were a direct correlation to the hotness of females on campus (Texas = hot girls = low graduation rates, SJSU = hot girls - low graduation rates, Vanderbilt = Ha Ha = high graduation rates, Texas Tech = Mustaches [minus that swim team picture] = high graduation rates) but then I saw Louisiana Monroe in there with low graduation rates and the whole theory was shot.
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