Anyone sick of D-1 (division one) colleges/universities that recruits individuals who shouldn't be there and gives them scholarships to play a sport? A good majority of D-1 college athletes wouldn’t make it into the college/university that they are playing for if it wasn't for their athletic ability. I can't blame the players because I would do the same thing if I were in their shoes. Let’s face it, the college/university wins because these athletes will draw in the big crowds and money! This covers college football, hockey, basketball, baseball, etc. Enough of my rant...... (not all schools are guilty of this, but most are)

 

The only thing you can hope is these kids are trying to get an education while they are there, which for some you know isn't the case.

 

Truly one of this country's biggest disgraces. These kids can't even READ after 4 years of college! And please, don't give me that crap about how much money these sports bring in to the schools. This country can use money to justify anything. Why don't these schools offer courses in prostitution or drug dealing? Think how much money that would bring in!! Universities' number one priority should be education, period.

 

I'm so glad I read this thread. I used to play D-1 football for a certain institution which I won't name, but going into my senior year handed my scholarship back to them so that I could actually graduate. Unfortunately, our new coach was very unsympathetic to academics, and had us practicing literally 7 days a week, often until late at night. Let me tell you what it's like to come back to your room and try to study after a long day of football practice. No thanks, I've been here for 4 years, and now I'm graduating in May. I realize that football is not a legitamate career, but civil engineering is, so that's where I chose to go. I'm trying not to actually say names, but this institution of mine is famous for producing individuals of principle, honor, and loyalty. However, our coaches have been recruiting individuals that constantly fail to meet standards, and I've even heard that some of them didn't even break 800 on the SAT. This is truly embarrassing to me and my school. It's okay though, they fail out after the first year, and coach gives their scholarship to a new band of thugs annually. This is of course not a fitting statement to everyone, as there are college athletes out there that really do care about becoming somebody. Anybody heard of Keith Brooking, middle linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons? he has an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, a true example of what a college athlete should be, a leader in both the classroom, and on the field. Without academics, there is no student-athlete, and you might as well call it semi-pro football, and unfortunately the NCAA lets far too many things slide, or the universities are too crafty at hiding the things they do. The academic requirements to play college football are disgustingly low, anybody who is paying for thier own school would laugh at their program. My dad, who (used to) work for a beer distributor in Atlanta once hired a former University of Georgia football hero, not to make sales calls, but to load beer on the trucks, because he never graduated. Kids, watch the game, love the game, but it is not a career, take your academics seriously, because that's what's going to get you where you want to go. TK

 

First off, scholarships of this sort don't really exist in Canada. The money simply isn't available, I wish it was.

As for the money argument, it can't be dismissed. The money generated by these high profile sports pays for most of the athletics on campus. Especially non spectator friendly and female athletics. Would yuo deny all these people a college degree and the ability to participate in college athletics because of a few bad apples? Let's say there's a hundred bad apples that get by, should you cut them out, and therefore cut out the 1000's that benefit from the money those 100 gain? I know I wouldn't.

Also, a lot of the money raised by these high profile sports goes directly into academic scholarships for those that can't afford the astronomical price of attending a D-1 university in the US. So if the free ride for a 100 gives a 100 students who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to get a college education a degree from an excellent university, again, I'm all for it.

I kinda look at it this way, those 100 guys are not there to train for careers as engineers or historians, they are there to train for careers as pro athletes, and the university is helping them attain their goals. Sure they don't all make it, not everyone graduates and goes on to a successful career either.

I'd be careful what you wish for, if the taxpayer had to pick up the bill for these universities it wouldn't be pretty. Nor would the alternative of making a quality education only for the rich.

Waxy

 

Athletic events generate money for Schools, this money comes from People who want to see the athletics.

As with most issues, this reflects on our culture as a whole, not on any particular institution.

If you are disgusted with Athletes getting underserved scholarships and Professional athletes recieving exhorbitant salaries, stop watching sports.

The average working American is not willing to cough up cash to celebrate the graduation of Joe Nerd Validictorian, but will spend hundreds or even thousands to watch a bunch of social deviants beat on each other.

Whoa! I'm not sure where that came from!

 

At least here in MN it also comes from the taxpayers. They have been debating here for while just how many hundreds of millions they are going to put into a new stadium for the Gopher Football program. They have been playing in the Metrodome where the Vikings play, but that won't last much longer. Looks like the state is going to go in with the Vikings for a new one. The way all these deals go, it won't cost Red anything, and the taxpayers will pay it all. And I'm sure the Athletic department won't be writing any checks. I love college sports, watch 'em all the time, but ticket sales, TV revenue and private funding can pay for it, not tax dollars.

 

Yeah, I'm all about voting with your wallet. I take my stance based on my school's position, where we are D-1, but our program doesn't make enough money to cover all of our expenses, so our football program costs the alumni a great deal of money every year, because that's who has to pay for it, the school won't fund it. I'm not at all complaining, because I would not have been able to afford 4 years that the school I'm at without that football scholarship, it has been a blessing, no doubt. My main complaint is that our coaches are bringing in kids who are terrific athletes, but they don't care about what our school stands for, and they get into trouble and fail out of school. I'm having a hard time seeing how that benefits the school, but like y'all said, a few bad apples in this bunch is still a small price to pay for the opportunity that it grants those who really want it. On the other hand, some schools, like UGA, Florida State, or Miami will make so much money on their football program that it will pour money into the academic departments, and therefore benefit everyone involved. Like it or not, that is a very good thing. Besides, it's American.

 

In some respects, that's the way it's supposed to be, but then if the alumni are paying for it, they have a right to demand results, and if 7 day practices are what it takes, then that's what it takes. Sounds like the coach just knows who butters his bread. Can't really blame him either. It's too bad they don't place any importance on academics and don't realize that they are just stringing these kids along for their own amusement and entertainment and not actually helping them out with anything important. They really are just paying for a form of entertainment. Free society, they can put up the money and the athletes can associate with them and play along (literally) if they want to. Too bad they didn't wise up like you and realize what is going on and what's best for them.