College Athletic Programs Undermine Academics

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The impact of college athletic programs on academics has always been a controversial and contentious topic. It seems that athletic programs have some contemplative effects on academics of colleges and universities. Different people have different ideas about how college athletic programs should be carried on. College presidents, administrations, student athletes, parents of students, and athletic trainers are along with these people who point out different facts about the fallouts of athletics on academics. A bunch of people suggest that athletic programs should be dropped from college system, while another group suggests that athletic programs should be taken care with more advertence. An analysis on the effects of college athletics on academics has two personal approaches: college athletics undermine academics, and athletics amplify academic experience. Financial aspects and profitability of college athletic programs is one of the most important arguments involved in this controversy. A group of people expresses that college athletic programs are over emphasized. The point they show on the first hand, is that athletic programs are too expensive for community colleges and small universities. Besides, statistics prove that financial aspects of college athletic programs are extremely questionable. It is true that maintenance, and facility costs for athletic programs are significantly high in comparison to academic programs. Therefore, Denhart, Villwock, and Vedder argue that athletic programs drag money away from important academics programs and degrade their quality. According to them, median expenditures per athlete in Football Bowl Subdivision were $65,800 in 2006. And it has shown a 15.6 percent median expenditure increase fro... ... middle of paper ... ...hance the College Experience." Student Life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2011. "College Athletic Programs Undermine Academics." Student Life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 July 2011. Davidson, Brian. "Study Athletics Improve Academics | College Recruiting Blog - Athletic Scholarships Blog | NCSA." College Sports Recruiting - College Recruiting & Scholarships | NCSA. 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 July 2011. Friday, William C. "Athletics vs. academics. (both sides)." Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Higher Education 2.6 (2001): 30+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 27 July 2011. "The Relationship between Athletics and Academic Achievement (Bowdoin, Gender and Women's Studies)." Bowdoin College. Mar. 2009. Web. 27 July 2011.

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