Buckeyes Football Fails In the Most Important Category

A very interesting article in the Boston Globe calls attention to some interesting statistics in the graduation of football players: the gap between the graduation rates of white and black players. Notre Dame is in the top bracket of this category, as expected, and other notable academic schools such as Navy, Rice, and Boston College rank highly here as well. But Ohio State ranks dead last with a black graduation rate of only 32 percent coupled with a white graduation rate of 85 percent. That's a difference of 53 percent.

The arguments will be made that lots of players leave college early to play in the pro ranks, and also that the universities can't be held accountable for the actions of their players. I'll agree with the first one with some caveats, and totally dismiss the second.

First: yes, it does make sense for many players to leave college early to play professional ball. The risk of getting injured in college ball and not getting that big paycheck in the NFL is one that is a calculated risk for many players. And to go back and get a degree later, after the paycheck is in the bank, so to speak, is a better option.

However - and this leads into my next point - I sincerely doubt that too many guys are taking that option and actually getting their degree after leaving early. That's where the real problem is: young men who see college simply as a way to get into the NFL. Granted, many coaches are able to recruit fairly well with promises that they'll have a better shot at the NFL is they come to X school. ND's Charlie Weis may be the best example of this. But the point of college athletics is for students who might not be able to pay for college to get a shot at higher education by cashing in on their athletic skills, and Notre Dame does not fail at this, based on the percentages in this article. The idea, of course, is that a player who has the drive to excel at athletics can develop the same drive to get a degree.

Obviously, that's not what the situation is in the country now, and I'm under no delusions that this is the case. However, the role of the NCAA should be to try to MAKE that the situation in any way possible. Let's face it: pro sports can't continue on the path they are on - perpetually increasing salaries leading to increased ticket prices are simply putting pro sports out of the realm of possibility for too many in this country. It's going to fall apart at some point. And the need for athletes to have an education is going to be more important than ever.

So shame on you, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, and you others who are failing your players by not working with them more in regards to graduation. You are cashing in on your players and not giving them the very basics that an institution of learning should be providing.