This research examines the impact of Proposition 48 on the academic performance of Black college athletes. Proposition 48, when adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1983 became Bylaw 5 1 (j) of that organization (Petr, 1988, p. 15). When implemented in 1986, Proposition 48 prevented college freshman with low standardized test scores from participating in varsity sports (Ferrell, 1986, p. 1).
The rule was controversial when it was proposed in the early 1980s. Opponents declared that Proposition 48 was racist because it would have the greatest impact on Black athletes (Johnston, Slaughter, and Osborne, 1988, pp. 2 14). Proponents contended that the new rule would restore the integrity of colleges and universities (Johnston, Slaughter, and Osborne, 1988, pp. 2 14). Proposition 48 remains almost as controversial in the 1990s as it was in the early 1980s (Wieberg, 1993c, p. 1C). Proponents of Proposition 48 point to dramatic increases in the graduation rate for Black college athletes, while opponents of the rule point to the reduced numbers of Black college athletes competing at the Division I level of the NCAA (Wieberg, 1993c, p. 1C).
Contemporary arguments over the successes achieved by Proposition mirror the different perspectives with which college athletics and colleges themselves are viewed in the United States. Proponents of Proposition 48 view the role of colleges
and universities as educational institutions, and view college
athletics as a part of the overall educational experience (Cramer, 1986, pp. K1 K8). Within the context of this perspective, any activity that detracts rather than promotes the overall educational objectives of college education must be restructured to bring it in line with such objectives. Opponents of Proposition 48 espouse a much narrow view. These individuals tend to view college athletics as an activity all but separate from the colleges and unive...