U athletes wrestle with the future

Not anymore. Zuniga, who turns 40 on Saturday, is on track to graduate this spring with a degree in sports studies management largely because of a relatively new athletic department initiative called the Gopher Graduation Program, which encourages former athletes to return to school and finish their degrees.

Once an informal endeavor, the program last year was made an official part of the university's overall strategic plan to improve graduation rates. The process included organizing a committee of roughly 10 athletic department officials and college advisers who oversee the program.

The committee identifies former athletes who are close to graduation and makes contact to see if they are interested in returning. The athletic department provides financial assistance if needed, and can improve its graduation rates and NCAA-mandated Academic Progress Rate (APR) if the athlete finishes his or her degree.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Regina Sullivan, who chairs the committee, said 48 former athletes have returned to school and finished their degrees in the past four years.

"[The APR] may be what motivated people to become more organized, but I truly think people know that it's the right thing, and that's their main motivation," Sullivan said. "It's a win-win all the way around."

Minnesota's athletic department has been plagued historically by low graduation numbers. In the latest NCAA data released in October, the Gophers made improvement in their graduation rates overall but still lagged behind the national average in most major revenue sports.

Twelve of the Gophers' 21 sports ranked below the national average for their sports in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate for athletes who entered school between 1997 and 2000.

NCAA officials said they want individual sports to meet a benchmark of 60 percent GSR. All but three Gophers teams -- football (49 percent), men's basketball (38) and men's hockey (43) -- exceeded that benchmark. The school had a cumulative GSR of 71 percent, which was a 3 percent increase from 2006.

This new initiative might not affect graduation numbers dramatically, but Minnesota officials and former athletes say the program is a sign that the school is committed to graduating its athletes, however long it takes.

"We will do all we can so that they leave the University of Minnesota with their degree," Athletic Director Joel Maturi wrote in an e-mail.

Some of the athletes left school to pursue a professional career or the Olympics. Others had different reasons for leaving without degrees. Whatever the case, several who returned said they are grateful for the program and said it would have been harder to graduate without it.

"When I found out the U had this and was able to help me, it was unbelievable," said former hockey player Matt Koalska, who played professional hockey for 3 1/2 years before returning to school. "They care about you and want you to do well."

A number of Big Ten schools say they have similar programs, either formally or informally. Sullivan said Minnesota provides former athletes a number of resources, including financial aid through the NCAA's student-athlete opportunity fund and academic support (use of computer labs, tutoring, counselors, etc.).

Sullivan said college advisers also have helped cut through some red tape and other issues when they arise. For example, requirements in majors may have changed in the time since the athlete left school.

A major investment

Sullivan estimated the athletic department has spent $40,000 a year the past few years on the program. The school used to reimburse the athletes after they completed a semester but now usually pays for tuition and books up front. Sullivan said they have about 10 former athletes taking classes this semester and are willing to add more.

"We believe it's a worthwhile endeavor so we'll try and find the money," Sullivan said. "Ideally, we would like to get everybody. If it becomes too much of a challenge financially, that's a good problem to have."

Sullivan said her committee primarily focuses on athletes who already have earned 100 credits because they are "within shouting distance" of a degree, but that is not necessarily a requirement.

Zuniga, who placed 10th at the Olympics and competed in several world championships, said wrestling coach J Robinson constantly hounded him about finishing school over the years. Former women's hockey player Natalie Darwitz, who left school to play in the 2006 Olympics, said her coaches and Maturi often encouraged her to return.

"Joel would say, 'Hey, we're going to get you graduated,' " said Darwitz, who graduated last spring after taking a year off.

Former Gophers basketball standout Trent Tucker is a committee member and a high-profile example of the school's initiative. Tucker left school in 1982 without his degree and played 11 NBA seasons.

Unable to get a job at his alma mater without a degree, Tucker returned to Minnesota, graduated in 2005 and now is a coordinator for community outreach and youth development for the university.

"It just opens up so many doors for you," Tucker said.

That's the hope of other former athletes. Darwitz has her degree and is training for another Olympics. Koalska was forced to quit hockey because of a heart condition and hopes to get his degree in December. Former baseball player Matt Fornasiere played two years of pro baseball but is on track to get his degree this spring.

And Zuniga expects to graduate in a few months -- 17 years after he left school.

"There is no way I would be able to come back and finish school if they wouldn't have done this for me," he said. "This is a godsend for me to be able to get my degree."