Right now, big-time college sports and college athletes are treated as something kinda disreputable, and for good reason. The athletes aren’t there to be students (I’m talking generally here, of course there are many student athletes in big time sports who are committed to academics as well). That’s why the “they’re getting a free education” response is so unpersuasive. What’s the value of a free education if I don’t care about it and don’t want it? It’s a waste. That’s why I say teach them something that they do care about, that they want to learn about.
You could argue that athletics don’t have a scholarly pedigree, but I don’t see any major substantive difference in offering a Dance major, and offering an Athletics major. And if you think about the billions of dollars being made in the sports industry, it’s certainly legitimate in terms of preparing students for future endeavors.
I think if a student athlete is coming to the school primarily to play football, for example, let’s teach him everything about football, on the field and off the field. Classes that focus on all aspects of offense and defense, so that, say, a college QB could come out of college with a full understanding of the challenges of every position on the field. Classes on salary caps and contracts and sports labor issues. Classes on public relations, marketing and sports journalism. Coaching classes, with college arranged internships as coaches with local pop warner and jr. high teams (which would make for closer ties between the university, the athletes, and the local community). Classes on sports agents and representation. Stadium and city planning issues, stats and accounting, teach them the whole football business.
This would also be helpful for pro teams when it comes time to draft players. Not only does this college QB perform well on the field, but his professors all rave about his work ethic and his attitude in the classroom. On the other hand, this guy appears to be a natural talent, but he’s barely skating by in his athletic classes. That’ll tell you much more about a person than their Wonderlic scores.
With an Athletics degree, those who don’t make it onto the field in the big leagues would still have plenty of options in the sports business. Front office work, scouting, coaching, player representation, sportswriting, etc.
An Athletics department would also be a great place for retired players, coaches and executives who can’t make it in the broadcast business. Joe Montana could be teaching students at Notre Dame about the West Coast offense. Chuck Noll could be teaching at the Univ. of Pittsburgh on defensive theory. Phil Jackson could go retire and teach the triangle offense at UCLA. You’d end up with athletes who are well-rounded, and who understand all facets of their sport better.
Also, the academic cheating and scamming that goes on now would be greatly reduced. It’s one thing to give a star athlete a passing grade in chemistry, cause it’s a given that he doesn’t belong in that class and doesn’t want to be in there. But he doesn’t have that excuse in his athletics class. If he’s not willing to put in the work there, then no one would be willing to make excuses for him there.
So what do you guys think? Good idea or bad one?