http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/120801/does-iowa-really-have-to-choose-priorities
Wow, if the fans vote for fake classes, would Iowa University change policies?
Big-time college sports, no matter how much some people would like to believe otherwise, is a business. And every business would be wise to get as much feedback from its customers as possible in order to tailor their products in the best possible way.
But Iowa's recent survey of its fans borders on the absolute absurd.
Our friends over at the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Marc Morehouse and Scott Dochterman, have brought to light what Iowa's athletic department called a "Black and Gold Feedback" survey that was sent to season ticket holders (you can see the survey here, and listen to Morehouse and Dochterman discuss it on their entertaining "On Iowa" podcast here).
The first three questions of the feedback form ask fans to rate on a scale of 1-to-10 how important the following items are to them: Winning, graduating players and "do[ing] it right." No, really.
Why would any Hawkeyes officials believe those three principles are up for debate, or that they need to be prioritized? The only legitimate answer is: 10, for all of the above.
It's been my experience that most fans really only care about winning. Sure, they might say they want their program to graduate players and stay out of trouble, but as long as their team is delivering championships, all that other stuff can be overlooked. It's only when the team is struggling on the field that the off-the-field areas become a problem for most of the general public.
That's also quite all right. Fans are fans. College programs, however, must strive to win and graduate players and follow the rules. The truly bizarre aspect about this survey is what, if anything, Iowa would even do with the answers.
If the results came back that its fanbase ranked winning as a 10 and graduation as a 1, would the school suddenly start offering its players phony courses designed only to keep them eligible? If "do it right" checked in as the lowest fan priority, would Kirk Ferentz do a quick heel turn and begin flaunting the NCAA rule book?
And it's not like Iowa is shirking its responsibilities in those areas now. According to NCAA statistics, the Hawkeyes' most recent graduation success rate was a healthy 78 percent, which tied for fourth-best in the Big Ten. NCAA investigators have hardly been sniffing around Iowa City over the years, either.
So what's this all about? Perhaps it's a smoke screen to cover up the fact that Iowa has gone 4-8, 8-5 and 7-6 in the past three seasons despite not playing difficult schedules. Perhaps the survey is there to provide a subtle reminder to fans that winning isn't the only priority.
Whatever the reason, the survey comes across as incredibly strange and tone deaf. Iowa should not have to sacrifice any of the bedrock principles that all Big Ten teams say they hold dear. Fans shouldn't be asked to prioritize them, either. Customer feedback is almost always a valuable tool in business. Except in this case, where the answers should already be painfully obvious.
Wow, if the fans vote for fake classes, would Iowa University change policies?
Big-time college sports, no matter how much some people would like to believe otherwise, is a business. And every business would be wise to get as much feedback from its customers as possible in order to tailor their products in the best possible way.
But Iowa's recent survey of its fans borders on the absolute absurd.
Our friends over at the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Marc Morehouse and Scott Dochterman, have brought to light what Iowa's athletic department called a "Black and Gold Feedback" survey that was sent to season ticket holders (you can see the survey here, and listen to Morehouse and Dochterman discuss it on their entertaining "On Iowa" podcast here).
The first three questions of the feedback form ask fans to rate on a scale of 1-to-10 how important the following items are to them: Winning, graduating players and "do[ing] it right." No, really.
Why would any Hawkeyes officials believe those three principles are up for debate, or that they need to be prioritized? The only legitimate answer is: 10, for all of the above.
It's been my experience that most fans really only care about winning. Sure, they might say they want their program to graduate players and stay out of trouble, but as long as their team is delivering championships, all that other stuff can be overlooked. It's only when the team is struggling on the field that the off-the-field areas become a problem for most of the general public.
That's also quite all right. Fans are fans. College programs, however, must strive to win and graduate players and follow the rules. The truly bizarre aspect about this survey is what, if anything, Iowa would even do with the answers.
If the results came back that its fanbase ranked winning as a 10 and graduation as a 1, would the school suddenly start offering its players phony courses designed only to keep them eligible? If "do it right" checked in as the lowest fan priority, would Kirk Ferentz do a quick heel turn and begin flaunting the NCAA rule book?
And it's not like Iowa is shirking its responsibilities in those areas now. According to NCAA statistics, the Hawkeyes' most recent graduation success rate was a healthy 78 percent, which tied for fourth-best in the Big Ten. NCAA investigators have hardly been sniffing around Iowa City over the years, either.
So what's this all about? Perhaps it's a smoke screen to cover up the fact that Iowa has gone 4-8, 8-5 and 7-6 in the past three seasons despite not playing difficult schedules. Perhaps the survey is there to provide a subtle reminder to fans that winning isn't the only priority.
Whatever the reason, the survey comes across as incredibly strange and tone deaf. Iowa should not have to sacrifice any of the bedrock principles that all Big Ten teams say they hold dear. Fans shouldn't be asked to prioritize them, either. Customer feedback is almost always a valuable tool in business. Except in this case, where the answers should already be painfully obvious.
