Ohio State President Gordon Gee on Playoffs and Professionalism

The word “professionalism” was brought up by Dr. Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State University in an interview with the Associated Press this week.  When discussing a college football playoff, Gee said, "It's not about this incessant drive to have a national championship because I think that's a slippery slope to professionalism." This came in an interview in which the university president came off looking anything but professional.

 A  profession is defined as “a group of people in a learned occupation, the members of which agree to abide by specified rules of conduct when practicing the profession.” It is a code of conduct that helps guide a professional. The Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators states, “An educator serves as a positive role model to both students and adults and is responsible for preserving the dignity and integrity of the teaching profession and for practicing the profession according to the highest ethical standards.”

Dr. Gee insulted the work of fellow educators at Boise State and TCU, saying that the football teams at those universities do not deserve to play for a national championship even if they are undefeated. Dr. Gee disrespected still more fellow educators when he described Boise State’s and TCU’s opponents as “sisters of the poor.”  Anyone who has watched the football teams at Boise State and TCU over the last ten years has been impressed with the professionalism displayed by each coaching staff.

Some will excuse Dr. Gee’s comments and say he was just politicking to get his school in the BCS Championship game by making disparaging remarks about the other college teams in this quirky competition.  College administrators feel as though they have to stoop to this kind of behavior when opinion determines champions instead performance on the field.  It’s a sad state of affairs.  Most athletic competition around the world does not use pollsters’ opinions to determine champions, high school athletic associations don’t and neither do the professionals.

The professionalism Dr. Gee was speaking of was the use of professional players instead of amateurs.  He must think that having a college playoff will lead to the paying of players. Funny, there are high school football playoffs across the nation and authorities have managed to maintain amateurism.  Let’s face it, college players are already compensated for playing sports.  In addition to the education they receive, athletes have access to all kinds of amenities in varying degrees.  The level of amenities fluctuates from college to college depending on how much revenue a school can muster from many sources including conference bowl contracts and conference TV revenue.  Dr. Gee’s school and conference make more money than most.  This could be the reason Dr. Gee is satisfied with the status quo or would prefer to go back to the old bowl system.

The professionalism of the National Football League is evident on two fronts.  Yes the players are paid, but the league operates by an agreed upon standard and seeks the good of the profession or the sport of football.  Dr. Gee and other college presidents that preside over college football would do well to learn about the operations of the NFL.

For an in depth look at how some of the NFL best practices could be applied to college athletics check out the new book, It’s Possible! Realignment and Playoffs – College Footballs’ Opportunity by Scott N. Galloway.