Further action is required to make this featured image accessible
The below criteria must be satisfied:
- Add featured-image alt tag (in page properties OR on image metadata in the dam)
The image will not display until the issue above is resolved.
Courting Trouble: The Co-op Trap
Because of co-op, basketball legend Oscar Robertson found himself fair game for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Robertson began playing for the UC Bearcat varsity in his sophomore year, 1957-58. That same year, he began co-opping for the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. passing between academic and work terms just like any other student.
Only Robertson wasnt just any other student. He was arguably the greatest all-around player in basketball history, also standing tall as a barrier-breaker. As such, Robertson recalls that he was bulls-eye visible, and the NCAA the governing body for college sports noted his co-op career and almost elbowed Robertson off the court because of it.
In 1958, the NCAA was examining co-op and athletics at colleges around the country, and the organization basically charged that if Robertson was in the workplace rather than the classroom every day, he wasnt a student; and therefore, ineligible to play the game. Then UC President Walter Langsam quickly countered that co-op was integral to education at UC: First, it was a requirement to graduate. Second, students were actually enrolled while on co-op, and their work reviews routinely came back to the university for oversight and a co-op grade.
Then the wrangling began, and the NCAA took about a year to reach a decision that, yes, co-op could be properly characterized as education. But, the decision came too late for Robertson.
Further action is required to make this image accessible
One of the below criteria must be satisfied:
- Add image alt tag OR
- Mark image as decorative
The image will not display on the live site until the issue above is resolved.
I wanted to co-op because of the inspiration provided by my teachers at Crispus Attucks High School. They prepared you for challenges and really encouraged you to experience life, try different avenues to find out what you wanted to do with your life, he says, adding, But I didnt continue with co-op because of the warning whistles sounded by the NCAA.
Recalls Robertson, Coach [George] Smith came to me one day and said that I wasnt in the [co-op] program anymore. What could I say?...There was nothing to say, so I said, O.K.
Return to main page of "Co-op Special Report."
Return to main page of excerpts from The Ivory Tower and The Smokestack.
Related Stories
University of Cincinnati celebrates DAAP's class of 2024:...
April 27, 2024
Discover the achievements of the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning's Class of 2024 as they graduate into the alumni family, showcasing exceptional talent and innovation. From prestigious awards to prominent job offers, these graduates exemplify the transformative power of creativity and dedication in shaping tomorrow's leaders.
Ancient Maya blessed their ballcourts
April 26, 2024
Using environmental DNA analysis, researchers identified a collection of plants used in ceremonial rituals in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah. The plants, known for their religious associations and medicinal properties, were discovered beneath a plaza floor upon which a ballcourt was built, suggesting the building might have been blessed or consecrated during construction.
UC celebrates record graduating class at commencement
April 26, 2024
UC celebrated its doctoral hooding and master's recognition ceremony at Fifth Third Arena as part of its three-day commencement for the largest graduating class in university history.