Myles Brand is best known as the Indiana University president who fired legendary basketball coach Bob Knight.

Now the president of the NCAA, Brand hopes to make his mark another way -- as the proponent of tougher academic standards for colleges and universities with an emphasis of raising graduation rates for athletes.

Brand was at Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday, speaking at the Doré Theater as part of the Kegley Institute Lecture Series. He declined to discuss Knight but was glad to respond to questions about NCAA academic standards.

"Graduation rates are a serious issue," said Brand, 61, who became president of the NCAA on Jan. 1, 2003. "In our 350 Division I schools, student athletes have graduation rates 2-3 percent above the general student population."

But Division I football players' graduation rate is about 2 percent lower than the general student population, Brand said. And it's worse in men's basketball.

"Men's basketball is a greater problem," he said. "About 15 percent lower than the general male student body. One-third of (Division) 1-A schools did not graduate a single (men's basketball) athlete the last five years. And 20 percent have not graduated an African-American (men's basketball player) in the last decade."

Brand's talk on Tuesday night focused on Division I schools generally undervaluing the positives athletics provide to universities and colleges.

But in a question-and-answer session earlier in the day, Brand discussed extensively the importance that must be placed on graduating athletes, especially on the Division I level.

On April 29, the NCAA's Board of Directors, which consists of university presidents, will vote on whether to toughen academic standards for Division I schools and athletes.

"In the past, all an athlete had to do was take classes. That was good enough," said Brand, 61. "If this proposal passes, student athletes will need to show 20 percent progress toward a degree, or they won't play. These standards hold individuals accountable."

At the same time, "if student athletes don't graduate at a certain rate, a university or college could lose scholarships, which is the lifeblood of athletic programs," he said. "These institutions could also not be allowed to participate in postseason contests. Or in a worst-case scenario, they could be de-certified."

And if an athlete with a scholarship flunks out, the school won't be able to replace that athlete with another scholarship student, he said.

Brand said the minimum graduation rate before these penalties would be implemented has not been determined. "Some universities in an urban setting have lower graduation rates, maybe 30 to 35 percent," Brand said. "We can't expect basketball players to graduate at a significantly higher rate than the general population at that school."

Brand said he is confident the proposal will pass.

"I've counted noses," he said. "Unless something happens unexpectedly, I see it passing."

The proposal will not impact Division II programs like CSUB.

"But most of the time, things that happen at Division I do filter down," Brand said.

"Certainly I won't be surprised to see something (implemented for Division II schools), but clearly it won't be as strict as the sanctions that are being proposed. I know Division II is working on a strategic plan to work on academics."

Other items Brand discussed:

* He doesn't expect to see any policy change that will allow cash to be paid to top-level Division I athletes.

"Once you go down that road, you end college sports," Brand said. "Stipends make them professionals. Once you move toward the professional model, you're not there representing schools any more. I don't want college sports to de-volve into professional sports. ... It would be third-rate professional sports. Who wants to watch that?"

* Despite the public's clamoring for a college football playoff system, Brand said that isn't likely.

"The NCAA has no jurisdiction on postseason Division I football," he said. "We have 88 championships. One area -- 1-A football -- we don't control. Conferences do, and the bowls. ...

"Bowls have unique relationships with conferences, and they don't want to give that up."

* On Title IX, a 1972 legislation that has led to the growth of women's athletics, women's programs are encouraged, but not at the expense of men's programs.

Brand said a commission set up by the Secretary of Education has instructed that the Office of Civil Rights is to review any future situation where men's programs are eliminated to enhance women's programs.

"Now there's a lot more bite to it," he said.