# More proof that college football promotes academic excellence **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 21, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320 "2011-10-21T01:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/21 "2011-10-23T02:24:04Z")
Mostly, the money for athletic scholarships comes from the fees all of the academic students pay to the athletics department. You hear so much talk about how athletics make so much money for the school, but the numbers almost never bear that out. There are, though, some rare college athletes who realize that their skills are giving them the opportunity to get a great education, and who really do put in the work to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/22 "2011-10-23T02:43:55Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > You somehow missed the obvious point of my simple, two-sentence post. > > I think the point is vital, so let me try again: > > _Academic ability_ and _financial need_ should be the _only_ criteria for awarding scholarships. Yes, you have an opinion. Good for you. I completely got that. I just disagree with it. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/23 "2011-10-23T03:49:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Mostly, the money for athletic scholarships comes from the fees all of the academic students pay to the athletics department. You hear so much talk about how athletics make so much money for the school, but the numbers almost never bear that out. That’s inaccurate. Most of the money comes from alumni that donate to the athletic dept. fund. Student fees are minimal. The Athletic Dept. is the marketing arm of the university. Take it as such. They cater to the alumni, not so much the students. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/24 "2011-10-23T19:23:33Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Where do you suppose athletic scholarship money comes from? > > **Zsofia** , athletes can take any classes from any major they damn well please. Yeah, they _can_, and some _do_, but most of them get quite clearly that their job is to play football. Some of them at less scrupulous schools are in no way prepared for or capable of college level work at all, and if you argue otherwise you’re being very disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/25 "2011-10-23T19:35:39Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Yeah, they _can_, and some _do_, but most of them get quite clearly that their job is to play football. Some of them at less scrupulous schools are in no way prepared for or capable of college level work at all, and if you argue otherwise you’re being very disingenuous. This is true in football, men’s basketball, and maybe a couple of other high-profile sports, but not in the majority of sports. In lower-profile sports, student athletes often have a higher GPA than the student body at large; they have to, since they must manage their time wisely to balance academics and athletics. Besides, many or most of them are not receiving scholarship money and are at college primarily to get an education. Don’t conflate the abject failure of football and basketball programs with the success of many other good programs. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/26 "2011-10-23T20:27:26Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > This is true in football, men’s basketball, and maybe a couple of other high-profile sports, but not in the majority of sports. In lower-profile sports, student athletes often have a higher GPA than the student body at large; they have to, since they must manage their time wisely to balance academics and athletics. Besides, many or most of them are not receiving scholarship money and are at college primarily to get an education. Don’t conflate the abject failure of football and basketball programs with the success of many other good programs. **Zsofia** was talking about football. Heck, this whole thread is about football. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/27 "2011-10-23T20:38:41Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Yeah, they _can_, and some _do_, but most of them get quite clearly that their job is to play football. Some of them at less scrupulous schools are in no way prepared for or capable of college level work at all, and if you argue otherwise you’re being very disingenuous. I’m not. What’s your point? That they’re not prepared for a real job? Yeah, but they wouldn’t be anyway. At least this way they have a chance at an education rather than just being a laborer after high school. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/28 "2011-10-23T21:19:35Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’m not. What’s your point? That they’re not prepared for a real job? Yeah, but they wouldn’t be anyway. At least this way they have a chance at an education rather than just being a laborer after high school. So they’ve just been in a sense rooked into the false belief that they have a real degree, and didn’t spend those four years learning a trade, for one thing. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/29 "2011-10-24T05:56:55Z")
Is my memory failing me but weren’t there some posts in this thread that were very negative towards MSU, Dantonio and Gholston that were deleted? Some smack talk prior to the Saturday night debacle. Stuff about teams being “overrated”? Just wondering, or maybe I’m confusing two different threads. Help! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/30 "2011-10-24T06:16:43Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > He is NOT a groin-puncher! He’s a helmet-twister and a face-puncher. That’s not as catchy as groin-puncher, but I see I confused this MSU player with a guy from Miami. Says a lot about college football, doesn’t it? We’ve come to expect this kind of thing from Miami, but I see he did have an apology written for him: > [@](#): > > “I’m truly sorry for my foolish actions Saturday during the North Carolina game,” Regis said in a statement issued by the school. “It was hurtful, wrong and embarrassing to both football programs, to both schools and to the millions of college football fans that were watching. Specifically, I want to apologize to Dwight Jones, Coach Withers and the entire UNC football team. I am hoping and praying that you all forgive me for my actions.” ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/31 "2011-10-24T06:41:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s not as catchy as groin-puncher, but I see I confused this MSU player with a guy from Miami. Says a lot about college football, doesn’t it? We’ve come to expect this kind of thing from Miami, but I see he did have an apology written for him: I haven’t been able to recall the UTube video but I think the groin-punching was actually a U of Michigan player on the ground kicking an opposing player directly in the groin. It may have been the Notre Dame game. The UM AD probably had all tapes withdrawn and erased. I do know that the perp of the groin kick was a U of Mich player. So don’t go hanging Gholston with that one. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/32 "2011-10-25T00:07:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s not as catchy as groin-puncher, but I see I confused this MSU player with a guy from Miami. Says a lot about college football, doesn’t it? We’ve come to expect this kind of thing from Miami, but I see he did have an apology written for him The Gholston incident reminded me of the time an Ohio State player [choked the Wisconsin quarterback](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds%E2%80%93Sorgi_incident) after he was tackled and the play was dead. Oh, and he issued a public apology which wasn’t quite as elegant as Gholston’s but still had a scent of ghostwriting about it: _"“I talked to Coach Alvarez and to Jim Sorgi earlier today and apologized for my actions,” said (Robert) Reynolds, a senior from Bowling Green, Kentucky. “I lost my poise and there is no excuse for that. That is certainly not characteristic of Ohio State football. I take full responsibility for my action. As a senior, I have a responsibility to set a better example.”_ ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/33 "2011-10-26T03:04:48Z")
Oh, and, upon further review of the incident . . . Gholston realized that when Robinson took the vicious hit due to the ineptness of the UofM offensive line, the impact had twisted his head nearly 90 degrees. Gholston, being the kind, upstanding and clean player that he is, was just putting Denard’s head back in place. Gholston should have been rewarded for his nobility, not penalized. He might have saved Denard’s life. Penalizing Gholston is like suing someone for assault who had just administered the Heimlich Maneuver on someone who was choking. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320/34 "2011-10-26T10:19:27Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > **Zsofia** , athletes can take any classes from any major they damn well please. Yeah, but teachers are required to bend backwards for them and not allowed to make any allowances for non-athletes. When I was a TA at a US university with a huge sports program, we were required to let athletes make up any missed class, even if it meant teaching them one-on-one and outside our regular hours, and it did not matter why they’d missed it. If anybody else missed a class, for any reason, they were not allowed to make it up and (this being a lab with daily grades) were supposed to get a 0 for the missed class. You’re an athlete and don’t feel like stepping out of bed? That’s ok, the TA has to find a day when your ass does feel like moving and hold your hand through the procedure. You’re a non-athlete who’s got an entrance interview at the same university’s medical school, or a job interview, or a high fever? You’re SOL. Sorry but it’s been almost 20 years and it still makes me see red. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-college-football-promotes-academic-excellence/600320.md?page=1)