Athletics

At academically competitive institutions with big-time college sports, a large gap exists between athletes and the average student -- leaving plenty of room for colleges to compromise their academic mission.

U. of Tennessee angers many fans and alumni with plan to drop the "Lady Vols" logo, which supporters say is a sign of honor. But most colleges that once used such names for women's teams dropped them long ago.

A year after it voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions, American Studies Association is sticking to its guns. But it wants to broaden its public image, and demonstrate involvement in activism beyond Middle East.

Big-time colleges were rushing to hire executives as athletics directors a few years ago -- but the results have some questioning the trend.

After a football star at Alcorn State is revealed to be a registered sex offender, some ask why NCAA is resisting demands that it ban colleges from enrolling such athletes.

The scandal in North Carolina is only the latest evidence of how rarely sports reporters -- who are beholden to athletics departments and coaches -- delve into the darker side of college athletics, writes Murray Sperber.