Kevin Borseth's new contract to coach women's basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a win for everyone.

The community gets to keep a tournament-winning coach and Borseth gets to keep some extra coin in his pocket.

His base salary the first year will be 20 percent over his old contract.

Of particular interest: While the new contract promises to reward him for the team's success on the court, it also will reward him for the team's success in the classroom.

As part of a new incentive not in his previous contract, Borseth will get $1,000 if the team's cumulative grade-point average is at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.

The academic incentive wasn't added because the team is in trouble with grades. On the contrary, the women's basketball team has a record of academic achievement.

During the 2000-01 season, the women's team, with Borseth as coach, was named the top NCAA Division I academic team by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

The team posted an envious collective 3.48 grade point average.

And they weren't the only team at UWGB acclaimed for brains.

Members of the 15 teams in UWGB's athletic program averaged 3.15 GPA that same year.

At too many other NCAA schools, it's a joke to refer to participants as student athletes.

Ten teams that reached the Sweet 16 of the men's NCAA tournament graduated less than half their players in recent seasons, according to a study by the Institute for the Ethics and Diversity in Sport.

Earning good grades isn't easy when students also are expected to put in several hours of basketball practice. Yet UWGB is setting a good example in expecting its students to meet the challenges of athletics and academics.

Tod Kowalczyk, the men's basketball coach, has the same incentive in his contract for his team's good grades.

Academics is a key part of student athletics at UWGB, says Chancellor Bruce Shepard.

"This is the first university I have been at where the faculty stop me to brag about the outstanding classroom performance of our student athletes," Shepard said.

"That's an important part of our proud athletic traditions, traditions we are committed to continuing."

Borseth has compiled a remarkable 114-39 record in five years at UWGB. The Phoenix appeared in the NCAAs four times and this season went 28-4 with a first-round NCAA win. We hope that kind of striving for excellence continues.