by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader

College athletes serve as role models for many high school students.  Recent trends in NCAA eligibility and university attitudes raise concerns about the educational behaviors being modeled.

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama received a standing ovation when he said there should be more prestige in winning the science fair than the super bowl.   Currently in this country that is clearly not the case.  His sentiment is particularly relevant for high school educators in light of recent trends in athletics at universities.   College athletes can be powerful role models for many high school students.  In the past when these collegians demonstrated on a regular basis that sports could be a path to a college degree such adulation was a positive force.   Unfortunately, the current environment on many college campuses is not sending the same message and has a potentially negative impact on education.

A reasonable solution

College students on athletic scholarships are often placed into difficult situations.  Nearly twelve months of the year, coaches demand inordinate amounts of their time.  During the season they can be away from campus for days or even weeks and unable to attend classes.   For the most talented there are constant distractions from the media and the student body.  Finally, despite their fame and exposure, these are young men and women who are still maturing and learning about themselves and their goals in life. 

For decades universities have addressed some of these obstacles by allowing student athletes five academic years to complete their four years of athletic eligibility.  The plan is simple.  These individuals could reduce the academic load by about 20% and take five years to complete the requirements for graduation.  Most would be “redshirted” their freshmen year giving them time to hone their academic skills and adjust to college life while practicing but not playing with their teams.   Based on all of the available data, that seems to have been a fair and viable solution.

A turn in the wrong direction

“Fair and viable” have been replaced with calculated and hypocritical.  A confluence of events during the past decade has made a mockery of the concept of the student/ athlete.  A rule by the National Basketball Association requiring high school athletes to wait until one year after twelfth grade  before entering the league has created a new phenomenon—“one and done”.   The National Football League dispensed with its rule that players could not enter the league until their collegiate classes would have graduated.  This change had predictable results. Large numbers of football players began leaving their campuses after three years and far short of meeting graduation requirements.   Adding to the negative environment are the current eligibility rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) which are less than rigorous.  To be eligible a student/athlete must be enrolled in 12 hours of class each semester.  However, they need only pass six hours (2 classes) to be eligible to play the next semester.   Long-term in order to maintain eligibility an athlete must pass 18 hours in an academic year which includes the fall, spring and summer sessions.  Abuses of the system are legendary.  Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight told ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning “College sports have become a cesspool…it is inexcusable that a player can attend no classes in the spring semester and still be eligible to play in the NCAA tournament.  It’s disgusting.”

For these athletes it is also a cruel game of “bait and switch.”  With visions of millions of dollars and unlimited fame beckoning how many people would choose meals in the school dining hall and term papers?  Unfortunately, the percentage of athletes who drop out of college and successfully become professionals is extremely low.  For the majority the ultimate outcome is the loss of their scholarship, eligibility and best opportunity for a productive future.

What can high school educators do?

Realistically, high school educational leaders have little input into this situation.  Their voices are quickly drowned out by the money and publicity of big-time college sports.  One potential action would be to drawn attention to the great examples that still exist in the sports world.  Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal went back to school to earn their degrees after beginning their NBA careers.  Myron Rolle of Florida State postponed entering the NFL for a year to be a Rhodes Scholar.  These stories need to be made a point of emphasis for students.  Equally important, potential college athletes must be given an accurate and realistic analysis of the abuses and pitfalls they may encounter.

Regardless of the lack of potential influence, high school educators must also take every opportunity to remind universities that the current trends do not reflect well on them as institutions of higher learning and they do not serve the best interests of students in public education.  Being silent gives a bad practice a free pass and will only result in more abuses.