If college athletes become employees, classes should be optional | Adams

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As a product of the Louisiana public school system, I usually avoid commenting on academic issues. But when they’re related to college football, I can’t resist.

The possibility that college football players eventually could become employees of a university makes me wonder: Will they have to take classes?

Your response might be something like “How absurd.” But what once might have been considered absurd in college football has become commonplace.

Players transferring hither, there, and yon with no eligibility restrictions has been a drastic departure from the norm of a few years ago. So have those play-for-pay NIL deals that have transformed college football into a pro sport.

Given all the dramatic changes, the idea of football players becoming hired hands hardly seems farfetched.

The last time I checked, pursuing a degree wasn’t a requirement for working at a university. Such employment might give you a better chance at a college education. But it’s not mandatory.

So, why would some college football players be interested in schoolwork when they’re already making millions of dollars by capitalizing on their name, image, and likeness? And they’re now assured of getting a slice of a program’s football revenue.

Take quarterbacks at prominent programs as an example. How could you expect them to study for a test – or even attend classes – when they’re preparing for games during the regular season?

There are only so many hours in a week. A quarterback is readying himself to manage a game plan. He’s also engrossed in video, ever hopeful of committing an opponent’s defensive tendencies to memory. Why would he invest time in studying for a possible pop quiz in any of his courses?

His big test would be on Saturday, not during the week.

I’ve long believed that athletes should receive college credit for…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-athletes-become-employees-classes-090117987.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-07-07 09:01:17

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