Student athletes are expected to perform in the classroom and on the field, yet strict NCAA regulations limit their ability to reap the rewards of their athletic successes. There are tradeoffs, of course.
Some athletes are marginal students at best.
Their ability to score touchdowns, rebound balls or snag line drives may provide their only shot at acceptance into major universities. Somewhere amidst the confounding intersection of budget battles, professional aspirations, agents, scouts, TV contracts and GPAs lies an eroding ideal of what college athletics is supposed to accomplish. We want them to get a diploma, which is very important in our society. The college experience should be enriching socially, emotionally, athletically and intellectually. It's a belief shared by vonAppen's successor, June Jones.