POSTED BY MARTIN KICH
We often hear concerns expressed about Division I athletes who help to generate significant sports-related revenue for their universities but who do not complete degrees and who do not have extended professional careers or do not even get professional contracts.
But when one considers that Division II players typically do not receive scholarships, that many of their institutions rely on athletics to drive at least a portion of their enrollment, and that many players are on teams at private universities where the tuition and student debt are higher than at public institutions–never mind their much more negligible prospects of playing professionally–these statistics suggest that even if the concern about Division I athletes is not misplaced, it at least needs to be extended beyond Division I.
What about Division III? And private colleges? Are they perhaps doing something right, holding their athletes (and coaches!) responsible for academic success as well? I don’t know that they offer significant athletic scholarships, though. Several young star athletes in our circle of family and friends deliberately chose Division III schools over the higher divisions because they wanted to concentrate on getting a good education. The sports did occupy a great deal of their time, though, including during the summers. Understanding that, some colleges, both in Division III and among privates, offer a 5-year program for student athletes. That probably wouldn’t be attractive to youth who don’t have money or who hope to go pro afterwards, however.