Americans Think College Athletics Have Too Much Clout
Newsmax
Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe that athletics have too much power and influence over colleges and universities, a new survey reveals.
The Rasmussen Reports poll found that 16 percent of respondents disagree with that assertion, and the rest are not sure.
It's no surprise, then, that seven in 10 Americans think most U.S. colleges are better known for their athletic programs than their academic programs, and just 18 percent disagree.
A slight majority of adults, 52 percent, believe big-time college sports programs corrupt the process of higher education, while just 25 percent disagree.
Survey respondents who say they or someone in their immediate family played a sport in college are only slightly less likely to believe that athletic programs have too much power over colleges and corrupt the higher education process.
The poll was conducted after news broke that over an 18-year period, some 3,100 students at the taxpayer-supported University of North Carolina were encouraged to sign up for "phantom" classes that essentially required no classwork or exams and had no official professor. The classes boosted the students' GPAs so they would remain eligible for athletics.
Other findings from Rasmussen Reports include:
- 33 percent of American adults think nearly all big-time college athletic programs break the rules on a regular bases when it comes to recruiting top players, 23 percent believe about half of major programs break the rules, and 24 percent think some but less than half do.
- Just 15 percent of respondents believe most top-tier college athletes take serious courses and receive a good education.
- 64 percent think colleges should be required to make sure student athletes graduate with a degree.
- Only one in four Americans give the NCAA good or excellent marks for policing college athletics.
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