USF, Apple team to give athletes MacBooks
Dude, how many University of South Florida football players does it take to turn on a MacBook? Hey, they don’t know either, but they’re working on it and will be getting to us — coach is trying to recruit some alumni for the effort — really soon.
All snark aside, NCAA athletes at the University of South Florida (USF) will be equipped with Apple laptops in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the computer company, according to Tampa Bay Online. Details about what MacBooks will be used by what athletes aren’t covered in the write up, and neither the school nor athletics (Go Bulls!) Web sites mention this hookup.
However, USF Athletics Director Doug Woolard said the goal is to create an “anytime, anywhere learning environment” where students can view assignments, lectures and other material on a bus, in an airport, anywhere they are.
Further, Apple Higher Education group spokesman, Michael Hageloh added that although athletics was not one of the computer maker’s markets, Woolard “successfully took our 30-plus years of learning experience and applied it to a new community.”
Hageloh concluded saying the deal “a national game-changing moment led by USF.”
This is all very unorthodox and I’m looking forward to reading the details and back story…
What’s your take?
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December 5th, 2009
Sounds shaky to me, in theory. Aside from the University being in Central Florida, how is this different from receiving free shoes or clothing or other items not specifically used during competition?
The NCAA has taken a dim view of athletes receiving goods and services not available to other students, or could be seen as an incentive for choosing one school over another.There are many examples of schools issuing computers to the students, but they were paid for with grants or by the tuition and they went to all the students.
Apple gave away a lot of computers or sold them very cheaply to schools back in the 1980s under the theory that if the kids used them in school the parents would buy them for home and the brand loyalty would keep the goodness flowing as those kids became adults. Not all that different from playground drug dealers or the Payola in the 1950s paid to DJs to play one studio’s music more frequently in prime slots.
It’s an interesting situation, but I’m going to put this deal as stated under the category of the schools mascot. (you missed an easy one there Ronald.)