Wackademics

I am a graduate student- I know academics; I am a runner- I know athletics. But for the life of me, I cannot understand what the big deal is with student athletes. I am horrified by the rolling out of the recent NCAA ruling against Sandusky and Penn State. Horrified that this man is given even an inch of leniency, and horrified that Penn State, an academic institution, is tangled up with a story like this.

I think sports are wonderful. Grand athletic achievements inspire us, and remind us of what humans are capable. Playing games is fun, and whether winning or losing, it is an exercise in character building. Living a fit and active lifestyle is so important. And lastly (begrudgingly, I know), I suppose sports are good entertainment.

Did I forget to mention that it's also a great way to get a college education, and earn a living? Oh, right, because it isn't. It's recreation. Delightful, healthful, character building, recreation. I would no more recommend someone to get an education and earn a living by playing sports, than I would recommend someone to find a soul-mate by going on The Bachelorette.

I just don't understand what we're doing here. And truly, I don't understand how we're doing these students any favors. Sandusky, Paterno, and all the NCAA cronies in bed together on this coverup, not only tarnished the name of the academic institution, but badly tarnished the name of all the Penn State players, past and present. And while I don't doubt that some students/athletes are serious about academics, I know that a good number are being drafted into the school and used for the institution's monetary gain.

Case in point: last year, the NCAA promised to adopt a measure banning basketball teams from competing in March Madness unless 50% of its team was on track to graduate. According to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, 13 teams would have been ineligible last year, under this new restriction.

So, let's do some math. Assuming there are 18 men on each team, and 65 total teams eligible for March Madness, we have

65 x 18 = 1170 total players.

We know for sure that 13 teams have at least 10 failing players, so that's minimum:

13 x 10 = 130 non-graduating players.

(Note, these are not students with low GPAs, these are students who will not graduate.) To play it safe, in light of what we know, let's suppose that the remaining teams have 3 players each who won't graduate, that's

130 + 3(65-13) = 286 non-graduating players.

So setting up our percentage equation:

n % of 1170 is 286,

we get n=24! So, since I'm in a rounding mood, let's say 25% of all men's college basketball players are not on track to graduate. That's pretty grim. And if I were an academic institution, I would hesitate to hang my banner upon those collective shoulders.