Yahoo sports breaks USC/Bush Scandal

[aheravi]

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This is somewhat misleading, depending on the particular player. For the top prospects (ie Bush), the "education" really isn't worth very much.

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Wrong. Just because he doesn't VALUE it doesn't mean it's worthless.

[MyTurn2Raise]

A few observations to no one in particular:


1. Every school isn't doing it. Some schools are, most are not. Through various periods in my life, I've been close to college athletes and big-time high school recruits. Not every school offered money/gifts/etc. Boosters weren't constantly around with $100 handshakes. I'm not saying it doesn't go on, but it is highly exaggerated and not part of the normal going ons among the athletes I've personally been around. Yeah, they receive benefits like hot freshmen sorority hos giving them dome every night, but that is clearly not a violation of rules or anything.

2. Most the athletes I knew put more effort into their school work than the average student. These guys are put under an extreme microscope. They attend classes much more than average. Sure, most have extra study hours with course specific tutors, but they put in the time. Honestly, I'm not sure the extra tutoring is a bad exchange for what they provide to the university. At least at UofI, the extra tutoring comes from the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Budget, which is separate from the university budget. The athletics department graduations rates are on par with that of the university as a whole. Considering the amount of time athletes spend on their sport, I'll give them all the credit in the world for walking away with a degree even if it is in a 'soft' major.

3. You start paying football or men's basketball and you destroy college athletics. The money for the entire sports programs come from those two sports at most big-time schools. Women's bball, baseball, and/or hockey are profitable for a handful of schools as well. Those revenues prop up every other sport there is. If football gets paid, title IX and whatnot will be used to pay female athletes as well. Budgets will not be able to take it. The number of viable intercollegiate sports will drop dramatically.
PAYING ATHLETES KILLS COLLEGE SPORTS
It will all revert to club level and such.

[HajiShirazu]

Good, let's pay the players then, those other sports are huge money dumps and should be returned to club level in college like they are in the rest of the world. Title 9 is a joke, nobody gives a [censored] about women's sports (other than tennis and golf) and nobody should, because most women's teams could be beaten by the YMCA 30-39 A men's league. Most of these programs add practically nothing to a school as nobody other than the athletes' families pay attention. Scholarships should be for academics, since that is supposed to be the purpose of going to college, even though hardly anybody seems to go for that reason. The only time other types are justified is when the recipients raise more money for the school than what they are getting to attend.

[MyTurn2Raise]

a typical day for a big10 football player

this is very much the norm in my experience

[lippy]

When the Minnesota Golden Gophers actually had a good team under Clem Haskins the kids did no work. They got caught and lost their Big 10 title and Final 4 claim. Their new AD is all about holding athletes to academic standards. Obviously, they're awful now.

Walking behind Vincent Grier (the only watchable player from the Gophers in a few years) on some random day near the end of basketball season:

Girl: "So how are classes?"
Vince: "I don't really go anymore, I ain't gonna graduate or anything. Soon as the season is over I'm gone."

I can't imagine being a D1 athlete. Worked to the bone.