OT: Penn State "Student" Athletes Are Now Able To...

[ImBadRU]

1. Take every single class online
2. Not one in-person class required
3. Take classes (even all their classes) at any of the 24 Commonwealth campuses (many of which are a joke)

Soon it is likely that they will get to travel 12-15 days in a row, I think it is 8 or 9 now.

This makes me think that in a few years there will be like 40 teams in all of "competitive" college FB (e.g., OSU, PSU, ALA, UT Austin, A&M, Oregon). They are doing anything and everything to make academics meaningless.

 

[Joey Bacala]

This is total BS. The PSU regional colleges are essentially community college level. And if that's not true, why is it such a big deal when someone from PA tells you their kid is going to "main campus" or going to a regional one because they didn't get accepted to "main campus"? (I wish I could write that with that ignorant Philly accent LOL)

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Student athletes, right?🤭🤣☺️

 

[Mr Magoo]

One step closer to optional classes and University “sponsored” teams. These players are professional athletes and many don’t want to be students at all.

 

[PJVegas]

The new world order is taking over what was formally known as “college athletics” replacing UFL with NCAA label. 😢

 

[ScarletDave]

It’s a little ironic. Why is college football so popular, plays in bigger home stadiums than the NFL, and is loved by so many even more than the NFL? Because people WENT to the school, the players are generally FROM that area, they knew players when they went to school there because they had classes with them, etc. People feel connected to them. BUT if these become professional teams with just the college name sewn into the jersey and games played on their campus, who cares at that point? And once these greedy people suck all the money out that they can, and leave the sport for dead, it’ll be over

 

[RedTeam1994]

It’s a little ironic. Why is college football so popular, plays in bigger home stadiums than the NFL, and is loved by so many even more than the NFL? Because people WENT to the school, the players are generally FROM that area, they knew players when they went to school there because they had classes with them, etc. People feel connected to them. BUT if these become professional teams with just the college name sewn into the jersey and games played on their campus, who cares at that point? And once these greedy people suck all the money out that they can, and leave the sport for dead, it’ll be over

I’m torn about this post

part of me thinks you’re spot on - that these changes are sucking the life blood out of what makes college athletics special and that long-term these changes are not sustainable- that people will lose interest for the reasons you cite

On the other hand - part of me thinks your comments are the out of touch perspective of a dinosaur - that few give a crap about the things you mentioned / that people care less and less each year about such things - and will mindlessly cheer for a jersey just as they do for pro sports.

Personally , I’m a mixture as well. Honestly, I still follow it just as much but the whole NIL / free agency thing has ABSOLUTELY taken something away for me (can’t necessarily describe what it is but there’s definitely something “less”)

 

[LeapinLou]

Good stuff guys. Lately, PSU has plummeted in US News Report rankings and such. Maybe it's because they are letting a bigger part of the student body engage in on-line classes.

Ironically, I once heard Saquon Barkley say with a straight face that part of the reason for the break from RU to PSU was the academic reputation of PSU. It's totally in the toilet now while we keep climbing.

 

[huskersalways]

Ohio St has been this way for several years. Justin Fields did not attend a single class. All done online. Only parts of campus he ever went to were the athletic venues.

 

[ImBadRU]

OSU figures

 

[NickRU714]

I’m torn about this post

part of me thinks you’re spot on - that these changes are sucking the life blood out of what makes college athletics special and that long-term these changes are not sustainable- that people will lose interest for the reasons you cite

On the other hand - part of me thinks your comments are the out of touch perspective of a dinosaur - that few give a crap about the things you mentioned / that people care less and less each year about such things - and will mindlessly cheer for a jersey just as they do for pro sports.

Personally , I’m a mixture as well. Honestly, I still follow it just as much but the whole NIL / free agency thing has ABSOLUTELY taken something away for me (can’t necessarily describe what it is but there’s definitely something “less”)

We are about to start our, arguably, most anticipated basketball season ever.
A team that has 3 of players to ever take even 1 class at Rutgers.
A team that many fans were actively hoping for and then excited when multiple veteran players transferred out.
A team that is headlined by two players that will be off campus and done with Rutgers by April.
Players that will likely never be Rutgers graduates or come even close.

Moral of the story: if the team is good, majority of fans will care about the team
If a team is full of seniors but expected to be terrible - majority of fans won’t be invested in the team.

 

[Plum Street]

It’s a little ironic. Why is college football so popular, plays in bigger home stadiums than the NFL, and is loved by so many even more than the NFL? Because people WENT to the school, the players are generally FROM that area, they knew players when they went to school there because they had classes with them, etc. People feel connected to them. BUT if these become professional teams with just the college name sewn into the jersey and games played on their campus, who cares at that point? And once these greedy people suck all the money out that they can, and leave the sport for dead, it’ll be over

You couldn’t be more wrong.
No one cares if they take classes

 

[MADHAT1]

You couldn’t be more wrong.
No one cares if they take classes

sad but true ,if you're winning.
Losing team's fans will make a big deal out of the better programs players not going to classes .
In this day and age, college athletes probably will want NIL deals from any classes they attend in person.

 

[S_Janowski]

They are doing anything and everything to make academics meaningless.

This is an academic institution that put football before the safety of young children.

This is an academic institution that still has members on their Board, alumni and students that idolize a dead coach who put football before the safety of young children.

Not surprising this an academic institution would put football before academics.

 

[Plum Street]

This is an academic institution that put football before the safety of young children.

This is an academic institution that still has members on their Board, alumni and students that idolize a dead coach who put football before the safety of young children.

Not surprising this an academic institution would put football before academics.

The first 2 you mention are terribile and true

But pretty much every “academic institution” playing semipro football puts football before academics one way or another.

 

[mildone]

We are about to start our, arguably, most anticipated basketball season ever.
A team that has 3 of players to ever take even 1 class at Rutgers.
A team that many fans were actively hoping for and then excited when multiple veteran players transferred out.
A team that is headlined by two players that will be off campus and done with Rutgers by April.
Players that will likely never be Rutgers graduates or come even close.

Moral of the story: if the team is good, majority of fans will care about the team
If a team is full of seniors but expected to be terrible - majority of fans won’t be invested in the team.

Also, I don’t think the narrative about how there has to be a deep connection w/the school holds up in practice. It helps create the initial connection. But that’s kind of all it does, IMO.

I didn’t go to RU. I became a fan of MBB and FB because a bunch of my friends and family are fans. Some went to school at RU. But not all.

I don’t care at all if any of the student athletes or regular students go to classes in person or online. It’s their problem, not mine. I don’t care if a player is here for 1 year, or 5.

It may be that I am unrepresentative of the majority of fans. But I suspect the views expressed in this forum in general are not always representative of the fanbase at large.

 

[RedTeam1994]

This is an academic institution that put football before the safety of young children.

This is an academic institution that still has members on their Board, alumni and students that idolize a dead coach who put football before the safety of young children.

Not surprising this an academic institution would put football before academics.

True. This is just one in a very looooong line of examples of Penn state putting EVERYTHING (including the well fair of children, as you cited) behind success on the field

Joe knew

 

[RedTeam1994]

It may be that I am unrepresentative of the majority of fans. But I suspect the views expressed in this forum in general are not always representative of the fanbase at large.

I think this is really the key.

The people on here (particularly those that post a lot) are diehards. I suspect they (eg, me) are faaaaaar more likely to care about things like grad rates, APR, etc. the average fan, literally, could NOT care less about such things.

The average fan wants to have fun when they go to a game - and winning is fun. Thus, that’s all that matters.

 

[Plum Street]

This is an interesting thread from a fanbase that is interesting. We love academics now ? We celebrate Ace and Dylan , who are “attending” classes here in for 1 semester at best. But we rip guys like Spencer , young and mulchahy who actually have earned degrees from Rutgers university.