The fall season of college sports kicks off in just a few weeks, and the annual debate over how much “student” is in the title “student-athlete” is starting up again. University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) quarterback Josh Rosen opened up the fault lines of this debate and shook the narrative when he recently said college football and academics don’t mix.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Rosen — who is staring down what most likely is his final year in Pasadena before declaring for the National Football League (NFL) Draft — talked about his wall-to-wall schedule, especially as an economics major, adding that football can hinder the free time he would otherwise spend taking vital classes.
“Look, football and school don’t go together. They just don’t. Trying to do both is like trying to do two full-time jobs. There are guys who have no business being in school, but they’re here because this is the path to the NFL. There’s no other way. Then there’s the other side that says raise the SAT eligibility requirements. OK, raise the SAT requirement at Alabama and see what kind of team they have. You lose athletes and then the product on the field suffers.”
Matt Hayes, the Bleacher Report interviewer, knew he had hit controversial interview gold.
“So that’s reality for student-athletes playing at a major university?” he questioned the QB.
“Wait, some players shouldn’t be in school?” he followed up again.
Rosen explained that no human being could possibly last on the hectic schedule of a student athlete, and that universities should be actively aiding their players instead of just trying to keep them eligible (which can develop into academic scandals such as the one in North Carolina). Rosen emphasized how important it is to have a healthy life outside of football.
These comments have actually caused a rift… not in the media (search Rosen’s name, and almost all the headlines are positive) but with coaches across the country. Alabama’s Nick Saban and Stanford’s David Shaw both said something to the effect of ‘each player has a personal responsibility to prepare themselves for the world ahead.’
Rosen’s point is completely validated by studies and simple observations. Some players are in school to prepare for the NFL, not life.
In 2008, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution swept through 54 public schools (no Notre Dame on this list) in the top 25 football and men’s basketball polls, and 6 major conferences; they found that the SAT scores of football players, on average, were 220 points lower than the student body at large. Basketball was similar, clocking in at -227.
Players are given the Wonderlic Test, a 50 question, multiple-choice exam, at the NFL Combine each year. There is a 12-minute time limit and it tests a player’s aptitude. There are some terrific scores from non-Ivy League programs, including QB Greg McIlroy of Alabama who scored a 48. Then there are some total stinkers, such as Vince Young’s score of 3. Smarts and athletics can overlap but that’s not always the case. Still, athletes feel like college is the only way to the pros.
Every sport has seen this conversation play out at the negotiating table between players and the league.
The players will eventually knock down the gate, storm the castle, and ask management, “Where’s our piece? Where’s our future?” Nearly two years ago, the National Labor Relations Board, ironically with a Democratic majority, chose not to hear the case presented by Northwestern football players to unionize.
This debate doesn’t look like it will be extinguished in the near future, and with a President in office who not only has promised American workers their jobs back, but who also loves the sport and has owned a football team, perhaps this could be a case that solidifies support among the working class yet again.
