College athletics are entering their second year of the Myles Brand era, and he has a lot to deal with.

With all of the problems facing college sports, Brand, the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), has a plan for retooling what he calls the "standard view" approach in the current system.

Brand said it misrepresents college sports and is responsible for the their undervaluing in society.

In the standard view approach, according to Brand, faculty within the college system look down upon athletics as being a separate entity from the academic section of the university.

Brand called his solution the "integrated view," which encompasses all parts of the educational mission within the university system, and said it puts intercollegiate athletics in proper perspective.

"It's a different perspective," he said during a speech last night to just over 100 students and faculty in the HUB Auditorium. "There is no bias on physical development."

Brand said he has always been a proponent of the pursuit of academics for student athletes, and there is no reason why academics and athletics cannot come together.

Brand likened athletes to members of the fine arts. He said both members take great pride in their work, practice very hard, go to school, perform in front of an audience and most importantly, don't make it big in their chosen field.

He said since there is such good chemistry between music and the school system, there is no reason why the same can't be done between athletics and the university system.

At the conclusion of Brand's lecture, he said, "Athletics is an important aspect of a good education."

Brand's lecture was just one activity on the first day of a two-day trip to Happy Valley. He met with students, faculty and media, discussing a number of topics from the mess that has been made of the BCS to paying college athletes.

BCS Mess

There is not a more publicized issue facing college sports at the current juncture than the Bowl Championship Series. After this season, when Louisiana State University and the University of Southern California split the national championship, media members across the country were calling for change. However, Brand reminded reporters at his press conference yesterday that the NCAA cannot fix the problem.

"Membership conferences reserved the right to decide," Brand said. "It is a decision that has to be made by the 11 presidential leaders."

Brand said that each conference has one president -- Penn State President Graham Spanier is the Big Ten's representative -- and if anything is going to change from the current system, it will be up to the individual conferences and not the NCAA.

He added that all he cares about is seeing exciting postseason football, and he made it perfectly clear at yesterday's lecture that he does not run college athletics.

"I am not the czar of college sports," he said.

LeBron in school?

With all of the high school students foregoing college and taking their talent straight to the NBA, combined with the countless number of college players who leave school early, college basketball is seeing its fair share of problems.

The worst dilemma in Brand's eyes is the graduation rates, which are reaching record lows.

"In some sports, men's basketball in particular, the graduation rates are abominable," Brand said firmly.

However, Brand was sure to point out that just because the media portrays college basketball on the downside, the actual percentage of players who even get a tryout with a NBA team is 1.5 percent.

Brand believes there are very few people who can do what LeBron James has done. He also said the best thing the NCAA can do is inform high school students about the benefits of a college education.

Show me the money

A bill that passed in Nebraska last spring would allow the University of Nebraska to pay student athletes a stipend. However, for it to take effect, three other states with schools in the Big XII would have had to agree. That did not happen, much to the delight of Brand.

"Paying student athletes would be an unmitigated disaster," Brand said. "Did I make myself clear?"

He said it would turn college sports into third-rate-pro sports, because the money would be nowhere near what professional athletes make.

However, Brand is not totally against providing student athletes with money.

"There is no time for a part-time job, and if you come from a low income family, it puts you at a disadvantage," Brand explained.

He said giving athletes money to help their scholarships reach the full cost of attendance is fine with him. Student athletes currently are given room, board, books, tuition and fees but not additional spending money for things such as transportation to and from home.

More Mike Price

A lot has been made in recent months over the numerous incidents involving college coaches and their improper actions, both on and off university grounds. Because of incidents ranging from Mike Price's wild night in Pensacola, Fla., to Larry Eustachy's alcoholism and attendance at college parties, to the gambling allegations involving Rick Neuheisel, the coaching fraternity has taken a black eye.

Brand said the NCAA already has in place a policy called "Show Cause" that allows for the NCAA to have records on a coach who has been let go and the reasons for it. If that coach is looking for a new job, the NCAA can pass those records on to the potential employer, who can choose to ignore the information, as the University of Texas El Paso did with former Alabama football coach Mike Price.

Don't Say a Word

Not too many people would know who Myles Brand is if it weren't for Bobby Knight and a basketball player by the name of Neil Reed.

While serving as the president of Indiana University, Brand issued a zero-tolerance policy for Knight, the men's basketball coach. Shortly after, Brand fired the legendary coach for breaking an agreement the two had reached.

When asked about what he thought of the job the "General" is currently doing at Texas Tech, Brand stayed mum.

"I am not going to comment on Coach Knight," he said with a sharp look in his eye. "There are a couple of lawsuits pending; I'm not going to comment."