Are grades an issue anymore?

[HawkOptimist]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

 

[GOHOX69]

They don't go to school so no.

 

[Tommaker]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

Purdue's top returning Receiver in 2022, Milton Wright.

Milton James Wright (born September 28, 2000) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Purdue from 2019 to 2021, before being ruled ineligible for the 2022 season due to academic reasons.

Milton Wright (American football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[millah_22]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

The athletes at Iowa have so many resources at the athletic learning center that if they can't make grades they have to be dumb AF. They have so many tutors to walk the players through everything.

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

You hear about it a lot with Juco guys still that they can't qualify due to grades. The problem is I believe it's based on the prior semester. If you're a basketball player that's done after this year you literally don't have to go to class this semester if you qualify GPA wise from fall. I'd think later in life if they have no degree to fall back on they'd regret those choices, maybe not though.

 

[win1forthe]

I work part-time at a JUCO in the athletic department and had this conversation with the AD. I was shocked at the lengths they go to in order to keep students eligible. He said they do nothing compared to Division 1. Like mentioned above, you would have to completely not try in order to become ineligible.

And, yes, it is based on the prior semester. It’s always interesting when a basketball team has 16 on the roster in December but only have 8 in January. Happens all the time in JUCO.

 

[myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

You hear about it a lot with Juco guys still that they can't qualify due to grades. The problem is I believe it's based on the prior semester. If you're a basketball player that's done after this year you literally don't have to go to class this semester if you qualify GPA wise from fall. I'd think later in life if they have no degree to fall back on they'd regret those choices, maybe not though.

Think Ricky Davis

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Purdue's top returning Receiver in 2022, Milton Wright.

Milton James Wright (born September 28, 2000) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Purdue from 2019 to 2021, before being ruled ineligible for the 2022 season due to academic reasons.

Milton Wright (American football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It must be REALLY HARD for these guys to become academically ineligible. There are illiterate college athletes playing all over the country every year. The base requirements used to be to show up to a class a few times a semester and be able to write your name, but since nobody writes anymore, and so many classes are virtual, I seriously don't know how a player, who has a large team of people who are paid to make sure he stays eligible, can become ineligible.

 

[ICWestfan]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

The grades thing was a rumor with Angel Reese, and still may be since it is LSU we are talking about. Point being, winning matters.

Hell, I remember all the hand wringing when a recruit was suspected of poor grades. Nothing was based on reality until finals came in. As for Iowa football, players that get in trouble with the law have to face the Leadership Council as well as the legal ramifications of their actions.

 

[Fan In Black]

it started in 1984 when the Supreme Court took away the NCAAs right to negotiate media deals. this led to colleges making big money from football. More money meant schools could afford an infastructure (tutors, advisors, etc) to help keep players eligible as noted above.

 

[Iafootballfan]

Tutors do the homework for basketball and football players - always have and always will. In a few years it won't matter when antitrust litigation ripples through the NCAA and they won't even be students anymore.

 

[Dauminator]

Funny coincidence the world has gone downhill since 1984....

 

[Tommaker]

It must be REALLY HARD for these guys to become academically ineligible. There are illiterate college athletes playing all over the country every year. The base requirements used to be to show up to a class a few times a semester and be able to write your name, but since nobody writes anymore, and so many classes are virtual, I seriously don't know how a player, who has a large team of people who are paid to make sure he stays eligible, can become ineligible.

Two quick stories. Years ago a friend went down to watch an Alabama/ Mississippi State game. Bama won, and he commented on their Soph DE, who was very good. His Bama buddy responded "Yeah, but we're probably going to lose him after this year, we can't keep him eligible." He went on to say that the DE in question had never played HS football, because he could never meet state HS academic requirements. He subsequently did not qualify that next year (they ran out of mouth breathing 101 classes he could take, I guess). I'm sure that's been corrected since then.

In Tiller's book "Not Your Average Joe", he talked about a player he got in that read at a fifth grade level. They got him all the help they could get (tutors, study buddy, teachers aid, etc.) but due to the fact that he had a learning disability it took him twice as long to learn something the average student would. But the kid applied himself, sweated through the academics portion as much or more than the football side of it, and in the end got his degree, Tiller lists that right up there with his biggest accomplishments as a Coach.

 

[250vertical]

Catch Bernie Goldberg's piece (30 for 30) regarding North Carolina's academic fraud. Football players admitted to UNC with reading comprehension in the fourth to sixth grade level. They have no place on a college campus, but they do on the gridiron.

 

[joelbc1]

Two quick stories. Years ago a friend went down to watch an Alabama/ Mississippi State game. Bama won, and he commented on their Soph DE, who was very good. His Bama buddy responded "Yeah, but we're probably going to lose him after this year, we can't keep him eligible." He went on to say that the DE in question had never played HS football, because he could never meet state HS academic requirements. He subsequently did not qualify that next year (they ran out of mouth breathing 101 classes he could take, I guess). I'm sure that's been corrected since then.

In Tiller's book "Not Your Average Joe", he talked about a player he got in that read at a fifth grade level. They got him all the help they could get (tutors, study buddy, teachers aid, etc.) but due to the fact that he had a learning disability it took him twice as long to learn something the average student would. But the kid applied himself, sweated through the academics portion as much or more than the football side of it, and in the end got his degree, Tiller lists that right up there with his biggest accomplishments as a Coach.

Before you start throwing stones just remember the Connie Hawkins story. It has happened damn near every where.

 

[hawkandroll]

found this searching for his famous tweet, it turns out he has since graduated!

 

[pistachio1999]

Two quick stories. Years ago a friend went down to watch an Alabama/ Mississippi State game. Bama won, and he commented on their Soph DE, who was very good. His Bama buddy responded "Yeah, but we're probably going to lose him after this year, we can't keep him eligible." He went on to say that the DE in question had never played HS football, because he could never meet state HS academic requirements. He subsequently did not qualify that next year (they ran out of mouth breathing 101 classes he could take, I guess). I'm sure that's been corrected since then.

In Tiller's book "Not Your Average Joe", he talked about a player he got in that read at a fifth grade level. They got him all the help they could get (tutors, study buddy, teachers aid, etc.) but due to the fact that he had a learning disability it took him twice as long to learn something the average student would. But the kid applied himself, sweated through the academics portion as much or more than the football side of it, and in the end got his degree, Tiller lists that right up there with his biggest accomplishments as a Coach.

I wonder how Iowa State did it with Troy Davis.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

Angel Reese would be another example, although, they only "sat her out" for a few games though...........

 

[Stoopsbrother]

If you are on scholarship at a D-1 program it is harder to fail a class than pass.

I played with a RB (not being mean here) that could barely read his freshman year & ended up graduating.

 

[uihawk82]

My dad who’s pushing 80 randomly brought up a good point yesterday. He said, “How’s come you never hear of kids sitting out because of grades anymore? Stuff like that used to happen a lot.”

Made me think. I don’t remember the last time I heard of a high level college student athlete in football or basketball having to miss a game due to grades. Are kids smarter nowadays? (I know, I laughed too.) The almighty dollar able to make any grade issues disappear? Colleges only recruiting smarter kids? (I know, laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

And what about stuff like OWIs and other criminal or legal issues? Are kids behaving better nowadays? The almighty dollar able to make these issues not become issues anymore? Colleges only recruiting law-abiding kids? (I know, I laughed too when I thought of the SEC.)

Things that make you go hmm.

I think there are a lot of easier college majors now than many years ago. You can get a Bachelors degree in Leisure Studies, also a sort of general Lib Arts all around degree. There are Sports Mgmt degrees as well as Phys Ed teaching degrees etc. I am not dissing these types of degrees but they are not like electrical engineering. I even think there are General Studies type degrees.

Now if you want to be a science teacher or math teacher you have to also take a lot of science and math course or both. Really good athletes can probably easily get a teaching degree in Phys Ed although they also have to take some psychology of education type classes.

So a very good athlete has to have good enough high school grades but once in college if they want they can take an easier course of study.

 

[Stoopsbrother]

Think Ricky Davis

Ricky is doing just fine.

 

[uihawk82]

The athletes at Iowa have so many resources at the athletic learning center that if they can't make grades they have to be dumb AF. They have so many tutors to walk the players through everything.

Yeah, and I just posted in this thread that there are so many what I would call easier degree routes in college now, Leisure Studies, Teaching degree focusing on Phys Ed, Gen Studies Lib Arts degree, etc. So athletes who do not want to take a lot of science, math, engineering, etc can do that.

Around 40 years ago when I was in grad school at Iowa I was taking an Anatomy course needed if you wanted to coach in high school. I had already taken many many science courses. This was an easy anatomy course for me, an intro course, mainly memorization, but I saw some UI athletes in there and they struggled. Probably not because they were really dumb but with practice, games, meets, etc and other classes they were just trying to get a C at the least

 

[myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

Ricky is doing just fine.

I'm sure he is. I was commenting on his non existent GPA while at Iowa.

 

[Iron Doc]

Booklarnin' is OVERRATED!!!

 

[uihawk82]

Before you start throwing stones just remember the Connie Hawkins story. It has happened damn near every where.

How do you remember the Connie Hawkinds story?

In the end he was denied playing NCAA Bball and at Iowa for being, probably erroneously, set up in some kind of gambling scheme.

Do you remember something about his grades or grades coming out of high school?

 

[ISUBryceC]

Two things:

Grade inflation is a real thing and it's effecting athletes like the rest of the student body.

The resources available to these guys is unreal. It's a lot different than 10 or especially 20 years ago.

 

[denmar81]

Yeah, and I just posted in this thread that there are so many what I would call easier degree routes in college now, Leisure Studies, Teaching degree focusing on Phys Ed, Gen Studies Lib Arts degree, etc. So athletes who do not want to take a lot of science, math, engineering, etc can do that.

Around 40 years ago when I was in grad school at Iowa I was taking an Anatomy course needed if you wanted to coach in high school. I had already taken many many science courses. This was an easy anatomy course for me, an intro course, mainly memorization, but I saw some UI athletes in there and they struggled. Probably not because they were really dumb but with practice, games, meets, etc and other classes they were just trying to get a C at the least

Isn’t Phys Ed actually a tough degree? By that I mean not a walk in the park.

 

[joelbc1]

How do you remember the Connie Hawkinds story?

In the end he was denied playing NCAA Bball and at Iowa for being, probably erroneously, set up in some kind of gambling scheme.

Do you remember something about his grades or grades coming out of high school?

The poor guy (Hawkins) couldn’t read! Not a lick! But he ended up in college... a thousand miles from home, He was used. He had NO business at a college. And then read ex-Hawkeye football players Tyrone Dye’s book “and the Angels said.....”. He was a freshman and an instructor of his discovered Ty couldn’t read and barely write (this was in the 1970’s)...It’s a helluva book...it’s because of exploiting these kids that has lead us to the mess we are in today...just saying “Alabama” isn’t the only places where this crap happens...

 

[BrewHawk]

Spencer Sanders was ineligible for his bowl game with Ole Miss.

 

[pistachio1999]

 

[uihawk82]

The poor guy (Hawkins) couldn’t read! Not a lick! But he ended up in college... a thousand miles from home, He was used. He had NO business at a college. And then read ex-Hawkeye football players Tyrone Dye’s book “and the Angels said.....”. He was a freshman and an instructor of his discovered Ty couldn’t read and barely write (this was in the 1970’s)...It’s a helluva book...it’s because of exploiting these kids that has lead us to the mess we are in today...just saying “Alabama” isn’t the only places where this crap happens...

Tyrone Dye, wow, a name from the past. I worked with him one summer in Iowa City, maybe 1975. We were a 3 man masonry patching crew etc and he was a strong guy. I also had his problems around Iowa City later. Now I dont think I knew Hawkins had that poor of an education. No wonder he got railroaded, as determined later, by those gambling or point shaving charges. Iowa was a really strong BBall team when Hawkins got to Iowa. He might have got the hawks back to the final four a couple more times and maybe even a Natty. I wonder who set him up?

 

[joelbc1]

Tyrone Dye, wow, a name from the past. I worked with him one summer in Iowa City, maybe 1975. We were a 3 man masonry patching crew etc and he was a strong guy. I also had his problems around Iowa City later. Now I dont think I knew Hawkins had that poor of an education. No wonder he got railroaded, as determined later, by those gambling or point shaving charges. Iowa was a really strong BBall team when Hawkins got to Iowa. He might have got the hawks back to the final four a couple more times and maybe even a Natty. I wonder who set him up?

Read his book. It’ll sober you up about college sports.