In a column earlier this summer, I made the argument that college athletics would be better off if they were separate from the actual colleges.
Many athletes skate though college on degrees that ultimately mean nothing, making a sham out of the educational side of student-athletes, especially for those student-athletes who are actually here to learn.
However, today’s point column offers up a solution that has never occurred to me and is actually quite clever.
So, without further ado, here are three reasons why allowing athletes to major in their respective sports won’t work in today’s sports atmosphere.
First of all, many universities would never, ever allow a sport to be a major.
Majors like art and music are offered at institutes of higher learning because they are viewed equally difficult as a physics or biology major, as well as mentally challenging. The point is, you have to learn a lot before you become a maestro.
Although football takes a lot of skill, it’s not viewed as a real “learning” activity. Football (and in reality all sports) has the stigma that it’s for jocks and people who aren’t smart enough to get a real job.
I know this isn’t true. My younger brother quarterbacks for a local high school team, and I am currently in the process of learning their playbook. It’s insanely difficult, and his teammates routinely get together and study football.
It honestly takes a lot of time and mental sweat to be good at football, but it’s still a stigma that’s not about to change.
Second, according to the NFLPA, around 2.4 percent of all college football players make the NFL. There’s no such thing as a professional league for wrestling or gymnastics, and pro softball in the U.S. features just four teams.
Can a school really justify a sport major when the likelihood of these athletes competing in their sports is miniscule? Preparing these athletes to be coaches would be far more prudent.
I know many people go into fields other than what they planned for in college, but usually the skills the picked up while earning a major played some role in earning a job. Learning about sports is only good for sports.
Finally, there is the simple idea that students should be well rounded.
College athletes already spend an incredible amount of time on the sports they play. Making their sport a major as well just takes away from the classes that strive to make them well-rounded people.
That shouldn’t go away.
