They may be dribblin', but they ain't learnin'.

I'm not condoning this, but if a school brings in, say, two guys. One goes to the NBA early, the other graduates, they have a 50 percent rate, which isn't very good. But you have one graduate and one millionaire. Even the guy who leaves college early and goes to Lithuania is making some money, not millions, but he's probably not on welfare.
These analyses from the NCAA always have serious holes in them.

 

Let's try a more realistic sample size.

Let's say a school brings in six guys. One goes to the NBA early -- and even THAT'S a stretch, even in the power conferences. Two graduate. Three don't.

The result doesn't look quite so appealing anymore.

Two rounds in the NBA draft. That's not too many players. And the odds of a rookie free agent making a roster are very slim.

All I'm saying, SCD, is that the cracks in the system are much wider than you're making them.

 

How about students who are ill and aren't granted the same long-term help, i.e., personal tutors, even though they miss class at comparable rates? Many students need the help---and they're not given free rides to begin with. Please don't make it seem as if student-athletes are victims or aren't given enough help?
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How many students miss a large amount of class time because they are ill? Probably not a big percentage.

My school had a policy that a student could take a leave of absence if illness or another emergency arose that caused them to miss an excessive amount of classes without losing their standing as students at the school.

Big-time colleges have these tutors because they got majorly embarrassed in the 1980s by players like Dexter Manley, who received a degree even though he didn't know how to read. So they provide these resources, which even includes literally walking athletes to class, so they can point to them when people question their commitment to athletes' academic pursuits. And oh yeah, it helps keep their players remain eligible to play.

The athletes who are victimized are the ones who want to learn in college, but are pushed into classes they don't want because it interferes with practice and games. The athletes who just want to attend school to eventually turn pro/meet hot chicks don't have my sympathy.

 

How many students miss a large amount of class time because they are ill? Probably not a big percentage.

My school had a policy that a student could take a leave of absence if illness or another emergency arose that caused them to miss an excessive amount of classes without losing their standing as students at the school.

Big-time colleges have these tutors because they got majorly embarrassed in the 1980s by players like Dexter Manley, who received a degree even though he didn't know how to read. So they provide these resources, which even includes literally walking athletes to class, so they can point to them when people question their commitment to athletes' academic pursuits. And oh yeah, it helps keep their players remain eligible to play.

The athletes who are victimized are the ones who want to learn in college, but are pushed into classes they don't want because it interferes with practice and games. The athletes who just want to attend school to eventually turn pro/meet hot chicks don't have my sympathy.
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You'd be surprised at how many students who have unusual medical circumstances struggle in college. I realize that almost every college allows for medical leaves of absences. Consider, however, the cancer patient or the liver disease patient who is going through years of serious treatment. They can't just declare a medical leave of absence, because otherwise, they'd never finish school. The ADA requires accommodations be made, but that does not specify individual tutors such as the ones commonly provided to student-athletes. Of course it is not specified that student-athletes receive those, either, but there's a clear reason and motivation for why they do so.

I'd say the percentage of students who are academically impacted by severe and ongoing medical problems is comparable, if not higher than, the percentage of athletes who receive special academic help, and that those services are not made available to medically challenged students as frequently as they are to student-athletes.

 

I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong, just that these analyses from the NCAA are always full of holes. You have to look past the numbers to the specifics for each school. And these stories are so dry.
Yes, there are kids in school for the sole purpose of sports, no argument there. Yes, some leave and are lost. Yes, Huggins brought slime to Cincy. Just don't make a big deal about the numbers without looking beyond them to the specfics of each school.

 

If I put the o/u number in this category for LSU footbal at 54, how many of us would have taken the under?