I have always felt that your main reason to go to college is to get an education and graduate with a degree. While I think it is fine to offer athletic scholarships to help students who couldn't otherwise afford an education, that whole system has gone off the rails where many are now more like college 'employees' instead of being students. If you are only there to play football & party, it doesn't surprise me when many of these athletes graduate with no other skills and lack maturity to deal with the real world after college.
Football in particular is a BIG money machine and many colleges tend to chew up the athletes and toss them out the door when their 4-5 yrs are over. Only a tiny fraction of them every go on to a successful pro career and don't have much else to fall back upon if they don't.
That is the case for non-athlete students for sure. When it comes to sports there are all kinds of answers. For some it is the only way to afford to go to college. For some it is just a stepping stone for pro sports and then that group divides into who wants an education and who is using the school. College age football players are in no way physically prepared for pro-ball so they need that time to grow, fill out, develop etc. Now baseball players are normally recruited right out of high school. I have a family member that went to pro baseball at 18.
And sadly many of these kids are being used by the college to have a great football team and know they won't graduate and float them through. They hope to keep them long enough to bring success to the team. Bottom line is programs break all the rules all the time to have a good team.
I disagree with this statement. My son is a DI football player and while he did transfer from the first school it was because it was just not a good fit socially and for football reasons. His current school has a great reputation for academics and the coaches stressed the need for him to do well academically. He would not have been able to gain admission to this college without football so in his case football is going to open many more doors for him than if he had stayed at the previous school. I think even at the high levels of SEC play the schools want their graduates to be successful and most athletes do not go pro that is ingrained in the kids heads from day one.
And this is exactly the case with many athletes. Coaches get so many waivers, football even more to bring in athletes that would never get accepted to a school. Then you have kids who can't handle the work.
Ahhh SEC, they first and foremost want to win. Even the coaches that we look at and think they are setting an example, they care, they watch out ........... end up with kids arrested, kids failing, kids that have many issues. Most kids don't go pro because they aren't good enough. Whether that is made clear at most programs ... I don't know.
I've lived in the Athens area for the past 45 years. I have a family legacy of UGA graduates back to 1950, I worked at UGA. It has always been all about the athletes to some extent. Back when I worked there in the late 70s-early 80s they were passed in classes that in some cases they never stepped foot in. While it has changed somewhat, especially the football players but certainly other athletes as well, are treated a little like demi-gods. They get free passes on a lot of things a "normal" person wouldn't. Throw in 2 back to back national championships and they can do no wrong, at least in this town and certainly in their own minds. Some coaches are better than others in controlling them but for the seniors, they are no longer under that rule. Is it right? Certainly not, should it be that way, certainly not. In the case of UGA the Athletic Department brings in a lot of money, throw in the very rich alumni and the money is just rolling in. In Stetson's case, I'm sure he is going through a lot of mental hero worship for himself. He was a walk on, told he wouldn't play and lo and behold his team (not him it takes a team) wins 2 national championships. Those two years he hears nothing except how he is such a great, mature leader, he wins awards and accolades coming out the wazoo. He isn't a child or even the age most of the players are but he has been in the UGA bubble for two years. The real world outside of Georgia isn't what he is used to, I'm not surprised it happened. Maybe it's a good wake up call for him.
Yeah metro ATL here. Sis and MANY of my family are alums. Most our friends growing up went there. Have family member there now. I even went to the three in a row Sugar Bowls, one resulting in that last national championship. Everything you say, yup.
My DS and DD did DIV II and DIV I sports. DD worked for two major DIV I programs, and last job was a Director (her dream job) but left. Things are a whole lot different on the inside. Stuff that goes on ... Good friend a college coach DIV I after being a 4 year athlete. I worked on recruiting project with him. He told me all about the good bad and ugly of college recruiting and the actions of coaches. When DD was deciding we actually went to watch coaches in action without them knowing. We ruled out some programs that way because coaches in action are a usually different than when they are recruiting. NCAA has program that athletes must always be on target to graduation and there are a team of people to make sure that happens. There are required student success departments. NCAA can pull eligibility if reports are not what they are supposed to be. I know for a fact that these programs are often in the business of making sure they pass at any cost. There is a VERY WELL KNOWN NFL QB that graduated from his well known college under very well known coach ... probably is technically illiterate. He went through tutors like candy, they all quit, tough to tutor college level classes to someone who can't read. He learned plays from pictures. Was anyone worried about his education? NOPE, all about football. Sad really. DS has been a high school coach 12 years, 2 sports, this year starting a 3rd. He has helped kids go through the process into college sports. He has one highly successful, finished eligibility during masters, went on to Olympic Trials finals. Most folks have no idea what goes on in college sports.
So he got one extra year due to COVID, and didn't play but was on the team freshman year. So he didn't go to any games/dress for any games his freshman year? Because if he dressed and was on the roster, it should have counted. Amazing how much bologna is tossed around for big-name college sports.
25 in a college sport seems unusual to me, as my daughter was out of college by age 22. So this guy was going for his masters?
Perhaps for the three major ball sports but 25 is not unheard of at all to be in college or compete in other sports programs. I think it is unusual to be so and have this kind of success so he is getting more attention.
No I don't believe he was going for his masters, but I do know several who competed while going for their masters. Now when my DD was competing they didn't let them take a full load of classes. She practiced three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. A full load would have been hard. Since she took the minimum required load, it also meant it would have taken her at least 5 years to graduate depending on her program had she continued. So depending on the gruel level of the sport, that might happen as well.
I was 24 when I graduated because I was paying my own way through college. So by the last couple years I was only talking a couple classes at a time at night while I worked full time. I know many in the same boat. They didn't want to go into debt with loans so they paid as they went. Priorities were to graduate debt free. And since most athletes do not get full rides, not even close that could come in to play. Lots of reasons that are legitimate.
Funny as I drove here to Disney there was a big billboard for his restaurant and it made me snarl.
