Is Athletics And Education Truly Equal In Our Universities And Colleges?

By Tim Steffler

Today I am going to talk to you about the inequality that is taking place in our
higher institutions of learning. Academics are the underdog and considered less when it
comes to the issue of Athletics versus Academic spending in higher education. Now
athletics does have its purpose, but it is corrupting our very educational values and has
become the single most important thing in many universities. The policy or changes that
need to take place and implemented is that the revenue generated from athletics should be
distributed among the whole schools system, not all back into the athletic department.
Both athletes and non-athletes should receive the same effort and attention and be held to
the same academic standards. Athletic departments when there revenues do not match
their expenses, they pull from other educational budgets, shortchanging other
departments to keep their profits. This should not be allowed any longer. Professors and
Coaches should receive similar salaries; the salary differential between them is off the
charts. A coach making four million dollars is over the top; this money should be going
back to professors and paying for educational expenses and facilities. Education is why
students attend college, not just sports and if your taking from the educational experience
for something that is just a small part of these kids lives, you are hurting them more than
anything.
Athletic overspending is not emphasized enough, athletes are given everything
and no expense is spared on these athletes. Yes athletics does generate allot of funds for
universities, but this money is funded back to coach pay and back into the athletic
department. This money is not helping with educational expenses, yet when athletics is
having a bad year where does the money come from to balance their books, thats right
from educational budgets.

Taking money from these educational budgets hurts both athletes and non-athletes alike.
Allot of athletes are just receiving the grades they need to just get by, and some of them
are not even getting that. What happens to these kids when they get injured or do not
become professional athletes? Than they have some worthless degree with a second rate
grade point average (GPA). And once you no longer can help athletics departments, you
no longer receive support from them. According to the New York Times, some groups of
athletes on average are receiving a .25 less GPA than their non-athlete counterparts.
These athletes are also graduating at a rate of eighty percent, while non-athletes are
graduating with a rate of 63 percent. How are these athletes graduating more often even
though they are doing worse in school? This is occurring because of coachs academic
oversight and athletes receiving more attention in academics than the other students. This
proves that the attention and favoring of athletes in higher education needs to be changed.
Athletes need to be held to the same standards, as non-athletes and equal effort should be
given to athletes as well as non-athletes to help them succeed.
The distribution of funds in higher education is another problem that stands to be
corrected. Often coaches are making way more than professors at he collegiate level. The
spending on athletes versus non-athletes is also despicable. In 2010-2011 academic
spending per student went up 1.5 percent, yet per athlete it went up 24.8 percent.
Spending on athletes went up 28.9 percent, while spending on instruction only went up
5.1 percent over an eight-year period.
The average coachs salary in 2013 was 1.81 million dollars, with five of the top head
coaches making over 5 million dollars. In the 2013-2014 school year full professors at
doctoral institutions brought in $126,981 and instructors made $50,032.

On average it takes approximately 18 full time doctorate professors to make on
average what one coach is making. 5 million dollars for one coach couldnt he still make
500,000 dollars and that extra 4.5 million be put back into the education system to better
student-athletes and non-athletes alike. Sports and athletics have overshadowed
academics in so many aspects. People are so blinded by the actual sports that no one is
really seeing what is going on behind the scenes. Education is being put on the back
burner so people can line their pockets.
The first thing that has to be done and that anyone can help with is to raise
awareness. If no one is even aware of this, how can it be fixed and many are aware of it
but refuse to do anything about it because they think it will not do any good. They need
to be convinced also that it will do some good. Support group need to get started and
changes to start to be made in smaller universities and colleges. Cases need to be
developed that show these inequalities and back it up with facts. Ruling boards at
colleges and universities alike need to be convinced that this is a problem. Convincing
one or two privately is a good way to go also. There will be heavy opposition and it
would take years, but education needs to become just a much a priority as sports in the
United States. I am not saying sports have to go but a balance must be found. They are
called institutions of learning and higher education for a reason. Learning and education
being the key words, they are not called institutions of sports and higher athletics. Thank
you for your time and fight for equableness between education and athletics!

Works Cited
Grasgreen, A. Coaches Make More Than You. Inside Higher Ed. November 7, 2013.
Online Article. May 2
nd
, 2014. www.insidehighered.com.

McGregor, J. Heres what the average full time professor made last year. The
Washington Post. April 7, 2014. Online Blog. May 2
nd
, 2014.
www.washingtonpost.com.

Perry, M.J. Dr. Jaw Dropping Compensation: $1m College Coaches. Carpe Diem.
December 6, 2007. Online Blog. May 2
nd
, 2014. www.mjperry.blogspot.com.

Petchesky, B. SEC Schools Spend $163,931 Per Athlete, And Other Ways The NCAA
Is A Bonfire For Your Money. Deadspin. January 16, 2013. Online Article. May
2
nd
, 2014. www.deadspin.com.

Robinson, N. Academics of College Athletes Vs. Non-Athletes. Global Post.
Copyright 2014 Global Post. Online Article. May 2
nd
, 2014.
www.everydaylife.globalpost.com.