When I worked at Big State U., there was this locked drawer. Once in a while someone would go into it. It was the Drawer of Exceptions and Big Secrets. Famous peoples' names were in there, 99% of them connected with sports. Most of them were little accomodations that had been made to graduate people who were a tiny bit short of their requirements, so that the Chiron on TV could say "Big State U" after their names.
It made me crazy. One of my jobs was dealing with kids who came to the office crying because they'd never read their grades and noticed that they were enrolled in two sections of Course X and failed one until they went for senior checkout, and what would they do now? Or the ones who were white-faced and choking because the exam was yesterday. (Yes, that really does happen, people who share that dream.) Mostly there were solutions, but sometimes the solution was "You're going to have to stay for summer school and take 6 credits."
No exceptions there, no accomodations, because the Chiron would never show these peoples' names with a background of an NFL stadium.
And you never, ever saw a football player. In 19 years, I never saw a football player. Some minion from the AD's office handed in all their registration forms, and then the forms to change all their courses to audit status (still legally full-time) at mid-semester. 10 semesters of that, and their NCAA eligibility is gone, and so are they. I'm not saying all of them, but too damn many of them.
As my job evolved, I did have to either make some adjustments, or refuse to do it. Mostly I refused to transfer D grades when our standard was C. Someone else did it.
And when I'd get mad enough to start yelling about it, to say that we should have junior leagues and if the players want to attend school they can, my supervisors would laugh and point out all the things the revenue paid for - new athletic buildings, new fields, new scoreboards. And I would say "But this is not an athetic association, this is a university!".
And they'd say "Look at Penn State!"
I have looked at Penn State, the logical apotheosis of a school that had a complete power swing from academic to sports. Where anything could happen for football. Where children were raped for football, and the entire administration fell into line to cover it up. Where there's a really, really big locked drawer of Exceptions and Big Secrets.
And I say shut the whole thing down. Shut down any and all athletic programs that make money. Don't yap at me about unfair to players. Let them transfer. The NCAA will pull the string to move their scholarships. And if there are students whose desire to watch football and get blind drunk once a week brought them there, let them recover or let them go.
Pay the money the lawsuits will demand. Accept whatever discipline Middle States hands out. See what's left. Go on from there, but never again allow any part of the university to take power from the part that's supposed to matter again.
And if it could be managed, I'd do it all over the country. If the NFL wants a training program for young players, pay for one; don't rely on colleges and universities for them. And this applies to all sports. We have completely lost our perspective. You don't go to college to play anything. You go to learn. But not lessons like this.
10:50, 7/18 - I never expected this. Thank you all for opening my head a little to things I hadn't considered. Even though I work at home, I have to work, so I'm out of here for the time being. Again, thank you all.