March 15, 2005

EVANSTON, Ill. -- There is an implied covenant between intercollegiate scholarship athletes and the NCAA member schools they attend: a student athlete is given the opportunity and privilege to develop their athletic talent, showcase their skills, and represent their school within a given sport 'in-return-for' a college education.

This arrangement has been the status quo for many years, but does the model still work? Within the controlled environment of a modern Town Hall forum, set at Northwestern's Cahn Auditorium, ESPN will evaluate every angle of this issue with the definitive discussion of this very important question.

The show airs from 6 to 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 16 on ESPN and ESPNU.

Some of the panelists include Myles Brand, executive director of the NCAA; John Thompson, former head basketball coach at Georgetown; Sonny Vaccaro of Reebok; Tony Dixon, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys; Sheryl Swoopes, forward for the WNBA's Houston Comets; Drew Rosenhaus, NFL agent; and Mark Murphy, Northwestern's director of athletics.