2023 has been quite the year, and many of the biggest stories have come right from college campuses. Here is a list of some of the best college stories of the year:
January
1. Mastermind of college admissions scandal sentenced to prison
William Singer, the mastermind behind the “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Singer helped unqualified students get into elite colleges by using bribes, cheating on the SAT/ACT, and falsely claiming that students were being recruited onto college sports teams.
Over 50 people have been found guilty in this operation, including famous actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.
February
2. Michigan State campus shooting
In February, the nation was stunned by the reports of an active shooter on the Michigan State campus. 3 students were killed and 5 others were wounded in this horrific incident.
March
3. The NCAA Division I program, Saint Francis College, gets rid of its entire athletics program.
April
4. Utah gymnastics head coach accused of verbal and emotional abuse.
May
5. The National Labor Relations Board demands that student-athletes be considered employees.
The NLRB filed a complaint against the Pac-12, NCAA, and USC saying that athletes needed to be considered employees in the student handbook.
June
6. NCAA committee proposes removing cannabis from banned drug list
In June, the NCAA released a statement that the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports is supporting the act of removing cannabis from the NCAA's banned drug list. The committee also suggested that while the NCAA considers unbanning cannabis, they should stop testing for cannabis at NCAA championships.
7. Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision
In June, the Supreme Court made a historic decision that reversed the decision that allowed public and private colleges and universities to consider race as a factor when admitting students. This decision will effectively change the course of college admissions.
Many universities have spoken out against this decision, including Columbia, Harvard, North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, and Rice.
8. Set Back of the Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
One of President Biden's main initiatives is student loan forgiveness. In June, the Supreme Court ruled against Biden's student loan forgiveness program which aimed to cancel as much as $400 billion.
Since this ruling, the Biden-Harris Administration has instead used existing student loan forgiveness programs and has approved nearly $132 billion in loan forgiveness.
9. Duke University's free tuition plan
Duke University announced that it would offer free tuition for students from South and North Carolina with family incomes below $150,000. For students with family incomes below $65,000, Duke will help cover the costs of housing, food, and other necessities.
July
10. Oregon Volleyball Facility Nightmare
It was revealed that the University of Oregon beach volleyball team was playing without equal resources. They had to play at a public park without bleachers, showers, or a locker room. The school has promised the program for years that they will build better facilities, but nothing has come of it.
August
11. Conference realignment: The end of the Pac-12 Conference
In 2024, the Pac-12 Conference will officially disintegrate and those schools will join the ACC, Big Ten, or the Big 12.
12. Nebraska Volleyball breaks world record
At the end of August, the University of Nebraska volleyball team did the unthinkable. 92,003 fans, the program broke the world record for the most attended women's sporting event of all time.
September
13. Shenandoah University safety, Haley Van Voorhis, becomes the first non-kicker woman to play in a college football game.
October
14. Utah football team given brand new trucks in groundbreaking NIL deal.
Nearly 100 scholarship football players received a 2024 Ram 1500 in a deal with FTW360.
November
15. Jimbo Fisher received a record buyout
Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher and will pay him a buyout worth almost $100 million.
December
16. NCAA updated transfer rules
The NCAA transfer rules can be hard to follow. However, here are some updated rules for Division I, Division II, and Division III.
Image Credit: Michigan State University
