Drake professor speaks out against "March Madness"

A Drake University professor suggests “March Madness” is insane. John Ericson, a professor of rhetoric and communication studies, is hosting a conference next week in Des Moines to talk about what he considers the “corruption, exploitation and hypocrisy” of collegiate athletics. Ericson is a critic of the N-C-Double-A basketball tournament.Ericson says a large number of “alleged” college students are missing a lot of classes in order to play in the tournament. He says any student will miss a class now and then, but he says when missing seven or eight days of class is supported by the institution, then it raises some questions.Ericson and about 25 professors from around the country formed an organization called “National Alliance for College Athletic Reform.” The group will meet March 24th and 25th to chart a plan of action.A professor who has started a drive to get Rutgers out of the Big East conference will attend next week’s meeting at Drake, along with a professor who’s written a book entitled “College Athletes for Hire.”