[mpoverlay]Diverse Issues in Higher Education today reports that the NCAA will tomorrow consider ways to bolster academic achievement of student athletes at HBCUs. The measure comes just weeks after Jackson State football was again banned from post-season competition, and faces possible expulsion from the NCAA for poor academic performance.

The issue is being largely promoted by Hampton University President William Harvey, who advocates the NCAA’s recently raised academic progress rating standards, but says that financial support should match the new institutional performance benchmarks.

Harvey says he knows his support of higher standards is not widely embraced by other HBCU presidents and athletic directors. The push to raise standards has gained steam however, he says, and HBCUs need to figure a way to deal with the new reality.

“The train has left the station and what we need to do is get on board and get more funds from the NCAA if we are to meet their standards,” says Harvey, noting that HBCUs historically have had a high number of academic underachievers in some of their key sports, particularly football.[/mpoverlay]