Make Athletics a Major

[21Huskies]

Why aren't students that go to college to play sports allowed to major in Athletics? Performers are allowed to be Drama or Music majors, why not Athletes?

it may sound crazy but if you're sole reason is to go to college to further your athletic career, why don't we allow them to major in it. Maybe give them courses that teach them about how to handle media, how to handle simple finances, basic anatomy to understand their bodies, etc. The classes would be something the kids could at least use going forward. Granted the degree may not hold as much weight as a finance degree or an engineering degree, but it allows them to be productive students, meet the necessary grades to keep them eligible and could potentially help them going forward. Obviously, if a student-athlete chose to major in something else they could, but for the kid who is simply going to college to further his athletic career, i don't see why he should be forced to take classes that he has no interest in and potentially hurt the team/university by failing those classes.

 

[SeattleHoop]

I agree

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

because the school cant make money off of it, all those schools at uconn are funded by companies, the NCAA or NBA isnt going to fund a uconn athletics program, maybe nike though

 

[toke]

Hey I'd make that my major if that was the case.

 

[Scot-e]

lord.

 

[upstater]

A major these days is 8 courses. You'd still have to take 24 others.
What's the difference between athletics and some of the sports management courses they're now enrolled in?

 

[upstater]

That makes far too much sense for the NCAA to ever consider it.

The NCAA would have nothing to do with it. It's a school decision. Probably made all the more unlikelier by the fact they are cutting programs, and the fact that you'd need to hire faculty to administrate it.

 

[Coach McGurk]

I would imagine it has more to do with the fact that ones athletic ability is not something one can retain for the length of time that almost another learned skill...such as drama or music (like it or not) can be and are...
people work for 30+years to retire....even the best athletes can rarely preform at a professional level for that long.
If you want to teach athletics then you can (and people do) major in physical Ed.

 

[21Huskies]

lord.

?

if you don't like the idea, than tell me why like some others have or don't post anything at all.

 

[GoldClubVet]

Stanley would get an 'A' in Jumping.

But really, I don't mind that idea. The best route would be via the IISP Department, similar to Criminal Justice.

 

[Dann]

if athletics was a major at uconn, the sec would have to add us in expansion.

 

[21Huskies]

if athletics was a major at uconn, the sec would have to add us in expansion.

this idea wasn't intended to be UConn specific.

i'd assume all schools would do it, besides the Ivy leagues.

 

[upstater]

this idea wasn't intended to be UConn specific.

i'd assume all schools would do it, besides the Ivy leagues.

But what problem are you trying to solve? Music students, for instance, do not get credit for performances. They get credit for classes. same as drama students. So, the games wouldn't count as credit. You'd have to set up some kind of curriculum. If it's as easy as "How much is a TD worth?" then be prepared to have your school ridiculed nationally and possibly lose reputation.

Things like drama and discourse have many centuries and even millenia's worth of study and discourse. You could do the same sort of thing for athletics, of course, but I'm not sure at that point if you'd be solving the problem you want to address.

 

[stamfordhusky]

One reason not to have such a degree is that well over 95% of D1 athletes do not end up being able to have a career in athletics. With the current system at least some of them get an education that may help them later in life - as opposed to a useless athletics degree.

A better solution would be for the NBA and NFL to create minor leagues and at least have a place for prospective athletes who have no business being in college. That won't happen, of course, since the NCAA is providing free minor leagues for them.

 

[21Huskies]

it shouldn't be pointless studies. it could be broad stuff like i said earlier (anatomy, finance, sports business,media relations, stuff like that). also not suggesting that you should give credit for hitting a 3 pointer in a big east game or that a kid should get 3 credits for walking on to the football team.
you allow kids to participate in a program they would actually be interested in.

 

[21Huskies]

we all know some student-athletes go to college simply to play sports. they shouldn't be so hidden and frowned upon... we use them to entertain us, to better our brand, for fundraising, etc. we put this pressure on them to achieve academic success in areas many of them have no interest in. its counter productive for the school and them in some cases. Let them excel in what they wish, they can deal with the after effects later if that degree isn't as powerful as a business degree or some other school's piece of paper.
i'm not saying its something UConn alone should do. its something, i believe, all universities should offer. I don't believe drama and music are all that much different from athletics and lets be real, outside of a few prestigious schools, music degrees and drama degrees are just as worthless outside those fields as a athletics degree would be outside of any sports related field.

 

[21Huskies]

One reason not to have such a degree is that well over 95% of D1 athletes do not end up being able to have a career in athletics. With the current system at least some of them get an education that may help them later in life - as opposed to a useless athletics degree.

absolutely, i agree 100%. i would assume most student-athletes would still want to take on a more challenging major to better their future.

but for the few who know they are either going to play professional sports later or have no interest in school... its an option for them that doesn't penalize the schools and could actually help them.

 

[CTMike]

Could be built off the existing Sports Management degree program....

http://www.career.uconn.edu/majors_sport_mgt.html

 

[freescooter]

Maybe we could have a major in lawnmowing...I bet more UCONN graduates will have to mow their lawns at one time or another than will ever have the opportunity to compete in professional athletics. It could be part of the Department of Natural Resources and Agriculture...there is already a major in turfgrass and soil science, so it would fit right in. You could learn things like how to start a mower, answer critical questions like whether to always mow in 1 direction or to alternate, stuff like that.