"Regardless of race, if education is the most dominant important factor, you will usually see a higher graduation rate," said Dave Czesniuk, director of operations for Northeastern University's Sport in Society.

There is a fine line when sports starts to eclipse the pursuit of education and for African American men, distinguishing which holds more significance is become a blurred line in regards to college and higher learning.

An annual report prepared by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida revealed that 45 teams had graduated at least 70 percent or more of their white players, which rose from the 33 teams reported the year before.

Black athletes, however, were not as fortunate with the numbers as only 20 teams graduated at least 70 percent of their players.

How long has this problem existed where Black athletes are only being honed for their athletics skills, but are given a pass when it comes to the curriculum within colleges and universities?

"The most disturbing thing to me is that the gap continues to widen even though the graduation rates of African-American basketball student-athletes are increasing," said Richard Lapchick, the director of the institute.  He added that the gap is a representation of failure in higher education.

There was a moment of hope, however, as the study also showed that graduate rates for Black basketball players are higher than Black students who aren't athletes by 18 percent.

"Although we would like to see even greater progress than is being made, we are seeing significant improvement every year," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in a statement. "The fact remains that intercollegiate athletics is doing a better job on average of closing the graduation success gap between white and African-American male student-athletes than any other component of higher education."

Like they always say for Black men, if you can't pick up a microphone or dribble a ball, then there's really no point.  With disheartening facts and figures like these, when will there be a stand?

Taking time out his of regular football analyst duties as a member of NBC's pre-game show, Tony Dungy publicly decried the lack of Black head coaches currently employed at major universities, revealing what many minority sports enthusiasts see as one of the last obvious racial hurdles.

There are only 9 minority coaches currently working at one of 120 major bowl eligible schools, of which, Randy Shannon of Miami is the only head coach leading a BCS college.

“The numbers would tell you that it is,” said the Super Bowl-winning coach when asked whether the lack of Black, or faces of any color, on college football sidelines represents institutionalized racism.

Alumni and booster clubs have traditionally allotted coaching jobs to people that they feel are the “most qualified,” often neglecting to check whether someone that may look different from them would be fit for the position.

Ironically, Black coaches have a better chance to become a head coach in the NFL than they would a college shot caller; seven of the league's 32 teams have Black men serving as top coach.

I pose this question to you Hip-Hop Wired fans. . .

Is the lack of Black head coaches in the NCAA institutionalized racism or is the “apparent” lack of qualified men an inconvenient reality???

I always knew it would be, since African American athletes have always been center stage in the NCAA's multi-billion dollar money machine. Millions of Americans go mad during the month of March to see "Tyrone G. Anyhood," the latest corporate product being lined up on the Great American assembly line of mass exploitation and academic fraud.

The NCAA has profited handsomely from the Black community's commitment to producing and delivering hoop dreams that put young Black men on the court during the hours they should be spending in a book. We perform death-defying athletic circus acts for the amusement of America, while universities profit under the guise of providing education. The NCAA's professional sports league has created hundreds of multimillionaires and has facilitated the purchase of summer homes, yachts and private planes for many of the fat old men who refuse to even hire African American coaches.

Some of the players have finally said, "enough."

Ed O'Bannon, a former star for the UCLA Bruins, has put his name at the top of an historic class-action lawsuit being filed against the NCAA for the illegal use of player images in videogames. This lawsuit is significant and opens a Pandora's Box of disturbing issues, like a maid charged with cleaning out a house with dead bodies and asbestos. To make things simple, here are just a few reasons the suit may actually end up having massive implications for the African American community:

First, it sets a precedent. If the players win this lawsuit, it will call into question the NCAA's practices, which I believe violate anti-trust law. It is my hope that Attorney General Eric Holder will help the public to understand that by being able to restrict mobility of labor and trade, the NCAA is allowed to operate in a manner that would be illegal in nearly any other industry in America. Secondly, the tax-exempt status of the NCAA would be called into question as well.

The NCAA is very good at convincing the public that collegiate athletics is nothing more than an extracurricular service being provided to enhance the lives of little bookworms who barely remember to go to practice. Anyone who has taught on a college campus knows that student athletes are forced to endure the rigors of professional athletes and spend dozens of hours each week going to practice and missing class for road trips. This is hardly the life of an amateur and top coaches push the athletes to earn every penny of their $20 million dollar contracts. As a result, the NCAA earns more during its post-season than the NFL and the NBA earn in their respective playoffs, including the Super Bowl.

Secondly, the attorneys in the lawsuit have the power to win. The lawyers filing the suit seemed to be licking their chops when they saw the egregious violations of anti-trust law alleged against the NCAA. It is my hope that we finally become intelligent enough to use the courts as a path to remedy this grave injustice to the families of African American athletes. The idea that the coach can live in luxury while the star player's mother is in poverty is nothing less than shameful. We've even been convinced that it is somehow scandalous and unethical when a player's family gets a mere fraction of the revenue being generated by the athlete on the basketball court.

When I participated in a CBS Sports special during March Madness, the question being asked was whether or not college athletes should be paid. I was surprised that the same network that paid $6 billion dollars for TV rights to March Madness would host a show that questions the operating practices of its economic empire. So, as the special went on and on about how it is clearly "impossible" for the NCAA to share its revenue with the players, I noticed one interesting fact: Every single person on the show arguing that athletes shouldn't get paid was earning at least half a million dollars per year off the backs of those very same athletes. If there were ever a visual representation of the word "hypocrisy," it would be Billy Packer, a millionaire commentator on college sports, explaining why athletes shouldn't get paid for their labor.

The same way that Dr. Harry Edwards called for the Olympic protests of Black athletes in 1968, we should call for the athletes of 2009 to stand up for their families: Demand the education you are being denied, demand the compensation your families deserve, demand the labor rights you should have as Americans. This lawsuit sends a clear message that the second-class citizenship of African American athletes will no longer be tolerated.

Although time may not be able to mask the murder of former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair, his son has found a means to deal with everything.

Resorting to football as an outlet, Steve McNair, Jr, a wide receiver for Oak Grove High School, has used his talent for the sport to his full advantage in regards to recruitment.

It has all clearly paid off now as the young athlete has made the decision to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

Speaking with The Hattiesburg American, McNair confirmed his choice.

“I just wanted to give my family a chance to watch my games.  I wanted to stay close to home and I love the Southern Miss campus.”

Although showing his verbal commitment already, McNair will wait until February 3 to make it official as it is the first day of the NCAA signing period.

Jr has been commended by his coaches as Nevil Barr stated that he was always there to make that big play whether it was offense, defense or special teams.

His talents have also been noted outside of his surroundings as he is a top prospect in the state and has been given the prestigious titled of being part of the “Dandy Dozen” team.

NFL's Steve McNair was found dead July 4, 2009 with multiple gunshot wounds.  With a young woman named Sahel Kazemi dead at his feet, the media tried to disgrace his legacy by putting more focus on the actual controversy of the relationship and giving minimal mention to what he has given back.

As the family will continue to remember a husband and a father, Jr. will ensure that the football legacy of the McNair family will continue to live on.

The degradation, pain, and injustice associated with the “good ol' Stars & Bars” is shared by countless Black residents of the first state to secede from the Union. It is because of those negative connotations that the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference found that it was necessary to strip the state of their right to host a trilogy of collegiate basketball championships, effectively taking millions of dollars away from the state.

The ACC previously awarded the tournament to Myrtle Beach from 2011 to 2013. The decision drew widespread criticism from the NAACP, which was engaging in a full fledge boycott of the state because of its insistence on flying the flag of the Confederacy from the state's capitol. Commissioner John Swofford says the tournament was awarded to Myrtle Beach with the understanding that discussions were held with groups that had sensitivities regarding the flag, but that “it has become clear this was not the case.”

North Carolina was chosen as a suitable replacement for the tournament, as Raleigh will host the ACC Championship in 2011 and 2013 while Greensboro has hosting duties for 2012.