<p>“The point is colleges, even ones that play big time D1 sports, actually admit student-athletes that 95% of the time get something done academically (graduating at nearly the same rate as the general student population)”</p>
<p>95% of the time? Nearly the same? Not really. At many big-time sports schools there is a significant gap between general graduation rate and the football players graduation rate:</p>
<p>Biggest Difference in Grad Rates Between Football Players and All Students
Major Programs (Difference of 15% or more)</p>
<p>Football Players/All Students/Difference</p>
<p>UCLA 51%/89%/-38%
Texas 49%/77%/-28%
GA Tech 49%/77%/-28%
USC 58%/85%/-27%
Virginia 68%/93%/-25%
Cal 64%/88%/-24%
Texas A&M 55%/77%/-22%
Georgia 57%/76%/-19%
Maryland 60%/79%/-19%
Michigan St. 56%/74%/-18%
Arizona 41%/57%/-16%
Oregon 49%/65%/-16%
Michigan 71%/87%/-16%
Oklahoma 45%/60%/-15%
BYU 61%/76%/-15%</p>
<p>The disparities are even greater for basketball players:</p>
<p>Biggest Difference in Grad Rates Between Basketball Players and All Students
Major Programs (Difference of 35% or more)</p>
<p>Basketball Players/All Students/Difference</p>
<p>Maryland 8%/79%/-71%
Cal 20%/88%/-68%
Georgia 18%/76%/-58%
Conn. 27%/74%/-47%
Arizona 11%/57%/-46%
Washington 29%/75%/-46%
Michigan 44%/87%/-43%
USC 43%/85%/-42%
Clemson 37%/77%/-40%
GA Tech 38%/77%/-39%
Fresno St. 8%/47%/-39%
Virginia 56%/93%/-37%
Baylor 36%/73%/-37%</p>
<p>[Scout.com:</a> The Bootleg’s 2010 Graduation Rate Analysis](<a href=“http://stanford.scout.com/2/952555.html]Scout.com:”>http://stanford.scout.com/2/952555.html)</p>