There’s no doubt that college sports aren’t what they used to be. College games generate millions of dollars in TV and product revenue, and as of July 1, 2021, the NCAA now allows college athletes to profit from endorsements. It’s not even unusual anymore for star athletes to leave college well before graduation to turn professional. Many employers prefer to hire student athletes because they have a proven track record of displaying characteristics that are beneficial. College athletics prepare students for careers by teaching leadership skills, time management, and working with others towards a common goal. Could this be because athletic departments spend far more per athlete than institutions spend to educate the average student—typically three to six times as much? With this much emphasis placed on student sports, what does that say about the role of academics in higher education? Has learning become extracurricular to sports?
FOR YOUR ESSAY: Using both the articles in the Diagnostic Essay and Laura Pappano’s “How Big-Time Sports Ate College Life,” as well as the Primack and Rojstaczer articles in Week 3 and 4, write an essay that examines the complicated relationship of collegiate sports and higher education.
To what extent does the emphasis placed on collegiate sports undermine the goals of a college education?
Is too much importance placed on the student athlete that they become an athlete student, and what impression would that leave on the students there for academics?
Has the student athlete affected the way college instructors grade their work? Is the star center or quarterback really an ‘A’ student?
What happens when the Big Game rolls around? How should colleges weigh the importance of course finals vs. the Final Four?
Why is so much revenue directed toward sport stadiums, training centers, coaches, etc.? How does big-dollar donations to sports programs affect academics and how can a fairer balance be achieved?
Give specific examples from at least three (3) of the five articles. Cite in-text whenever you borrow from the articles, though no Works Cited is needed for Essay One. Use MLA formatting for both the essay and in-text citing. Essay must be a minimum of three (3) pages.
