Big-Time College Sports: Study Explains Why Student-Athletes Continue to Fail in Academic Performance

Big-time college sports have always been a debate. Many studies found achievement gap and suggest the balance of both. A recent study by the University of California at Riverside provides an insight of how it is difficult for student-athletes to keep up with their academic performances.

Big time college sports force students to strive in sports

Based on the study by Uma Jayakumar and Eddi Comeaux, it is the organizational culture that actually gives priorities to the sports success. However, the athletes get the blame when their academic fails.

Both researchers analyzed anonymous football bowl subdivision public university. They found that theoretically, these schools prioritize academic performance but the practice is unlikely.

The difficulty in balancing both performances

The study publish in Journal of Higher Education explains that coaches and athletes focus on personal control and choice. However, the athletes have a hard time to focus equally. And even if they want to, they seem to fail especially when big-time college sports require them to devote themselves 40 hours a week.

The NCAA regulations have required student-athletes to turn down commercial jobs with the hope that student athletes can focus on their study. However it has led to another controversy after a college athlete's girlfriend endorses Hershey's candy on her Instagram, University Herald has learned.

Colleges show support on athletic performance with their state-of-the-art sports facilities. Another finding presented by the researchers explains how high-tech sports facilities simply give perception that athletic performance is the focus. It also describes how these athletes won't be able to manage their time to study especially when the excessive trainings continue to happen.

Previously, CNN published a story on college sports investigation and found that student-athletes play in big-time college sports don't know how to read well.

The finding concludes that the schools' culture to balance academic and athletic performances tend to result an inadequate support toward academic success. Although the colleges stress the importance to balance both; student-athletes are often pushed to emphasize focus on athletics. Do you think big-time college sports exploit the students?