The Apparent Cost of a College Scholarship

The New York Times features an article in Sunday's edition discussing the role correspondence schools play in getting student athletes into universities by basically writing them a blank cheque in the form of an acceptable report card. This of course leads to scholarship offers, and of course once you're in that system, what little scrutiny is there? Heisman candidate Matt Leinart is only taking one course this semester, and even that is an introduction to ballroom dancing or some other derivative offering along those lines. USC must be proud of that fact, but it probably doesn't matter as long as he continually sells out stadiums for them. Makes you wonder what kind of standards are in place at schools like Auburn or Mississipi State.

This is a must read, and makes you really wonder what kind of stringent standards are in place to prevent abuses to a system that basically rewards those who use the back door to represent these supposed institutions of higher education. This is why it's great to see how long Canada has managed to avoid the lure of doling out athletic scholarships to those in positions of great athletic talent but poor/non-existent academic accomplishments. Even under the current system, my roommate football player in first year was able to get in to school with a 53 average because he was 6'8", 280 lbs. Needless to say, his first year was also his last.

Poor Grades Aside, Athletes Get Into College on a $399 Diploma (NYT)