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OU Professor Discusses Marshall’s “Tainted Glory”

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An Ohio University professor shares his experience trying to clean up an outlawed athletic program in a new book.

Professor of Sports Administration David Ridpath worked at Marshall University for five years, starting in 1997.
 
But, Ridpath says he was out of a job after he dug up several NCAA violations.
 
Now, he has written a book that sheds light on the corruption in intercollegiate athletics.
 
"Tainted Glory: Marshall University, the NCAA, and One Man's Fight for Justice" talks about the business of college sports.
 
Ridpath says while he is passionate about intercollegiate athletics, he says he has found some things in the business that he doesn't agree with.
 
"It's really more of a cautionary tale, to any institution out there, to not go after athletic glory by any means necessary.  And that there are still some redeeming values of college athletics and it's better to pursue them that way.  No win is worth sacrificing your integrity," said Ridpath.
 
Ridpath says this is a story that needs to be told because the truth about college athletics needs to be revealed.
 
"I think the story needs to be told, because there rarely is a book that talks about the internal workings of a college athletic department.  We're all fans, of course, many of us are fans, but what really goes on to get that football team on the field that Saturday morning is beyond anybody's imagination," said Ridpath.
 
Ridpath says the next step is to figure out if intercollegiate athletics should still be centered around academic eligibility or if schools should make sports a separate organization.