<p>If you excel at running, jumping, throwing, catching, blocking, shooting you'll get a leg up, a big one at that, especially in Football and Basketball. </p>
<p>The biggest problems emerge not at the Ivy League/DIII level that is the subject of most discussions on CC, but at the big-money level, especially at schools with both strong academics and storied football traditions. </p>
<p>:(. Yes, the report states the obvious, but it provides a good opportunity to re-examine the dubious practices of these schools. </p>
<p>When I saw the average SAT of entering freshman football players at Texas, I nearly fainted. 945. 320 points, or three+ standard deviations below the average regular student. This is an AVERAGE, so rest assured, there must be a group of players who scored BELOW that. Well, at least they can claim they don't do special admits. They practice "holistic admissions", newspeak, by all accounts. Yes, SAT isn't everything, but this disparity is alarming. </p>
<p>What's incredibly confusing and mystifying is that a lot of these players, by looking at their profiles, is that they were on the HS honor roll, and a lot received academic accolades in college. The scenario reeks of grade inflation at both secondary and tertiary levels.</p>
<p>I also love how the player's bios describe their favorite movie, favorite actress, favorite TV channels, favorite music, etc, but one "favorite" is conspicuously missing. FAVORITE BOOK. </p>
<p>I grew up in Austin, attended UT, and my blood is burnt orange, but frankly, I'm disgusted. </p>
<p>Cal, UCLA, Ohio State, and other storied football schools with strong academics face this problem. It must be solved. </p>
<p>The question is, how do we fix it? </p>
<p>But this doesn't matter to most students and fans in Austin, what matters is that big shiny trophy, that the Longhorns hopefully will take back from Pasadena.</p>