How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life

I look at schools like Colorado State or Missouri State and wonder what they'd be today if they had stumbled into the Big 8 70 or so years ago.

 

I have said this before, but if Harvard or Yale decided to re-enter big-time college football, within a decade they'd be playing each other in the BCS game on an annual basis. Their resources dwarf those of the actual powers, plus they'd be offering recruits the networking and prestige afforded all their students.

 

More so. I have a friend who was a walk-on at a BCS school. Might have seen the field on Senior Day and that's about it. Employers were falling all over themselves to hire him. I'm talking six-figure starting salaries. Now imagine that school is Harvard or Yale instead of run-of-the-mill BCS school.

 

Only if they drastically lowered their academic entry standards.

 

So Meyer's bonus for the BCS title game is worth more than his bonus for the graduation rate? And there you have it.

 

Once they decide to go the route of big-time sports, I don't really have a problem with that. Whatever Ohio State's graduation rate is, the graduation rate of those individuals if they aren't playing football is much lower, because they don't sniff college without football anyway.

 

Which will help the academy more? The money that flows through Ohio State's licensing fees and bookstore sales thanks to a national championship, or the money that flows from a high graduation rate?

 

I presume that is pretty universal.

He's a football coach.

 

And the ridiculous thing is (well, among many ridiculous things), is that Meyer needs a bonus to motivate himself into looking out for the players' academic welfare.

In other words, he only cares if they get a degree if he's going to get paid for it.

 

That's flawed logic. Does that mean he only cares about winning the BCS championship if he's going to get paid for it? Or that he needs a bonus to motivate himself to win the title?

The bonus is just that -- a bonus, a reward for doing an exceptional job. It's not the only reason you try to do an exceptional job.

 

80 percent graduation rate ha ha...