Putting the "student" back in "student athlete"?

In yesterday's Washington Post, there was a decent article examining the pros and cons of a playoff system for college football.  I've already explained my position, and I've heard numerous arguments from the Brendansphere.  However, with a 2-loss "champion," I need to say it again: the BCS system sucks.  If App State can figure out how to have their students take their final exams even though they have playoffs, why can't Virginia?  (UVA purposely declined their invitation to the Champs Sports Bowl because it would have conflicted with exams).

And now I need to stop and look at what I wrote.  I'm a teacher, for chrissake ... A teacher who sometimes resents ploys arguments like this from athletic departments.  Somefeel the stress is too much ... maybe.

Some of the Appalachian State football players felt that way, crammed into the ballroom some 48 hours before playing the most important game of their season. Afterward, though, they also agreed the stress was worthwhile. Years from now, unlike whichever team wins tonight [OSU. or LSU -ed], the merits of their national championship will not be questioned.

I was a student athlete in high school (though not in college, I'll admit).  Classwork comes first.  If there was a conflict, I went to the teacher and worked something out.  Period.  Almost every teacher I know would be willing to give students other opportunities to make up work (or an exam) if they had a legitimate reason for missing class--and I think playoffs would qualify.  True, it might be tough, but isn't that what being a student athlete is about?

Comments

[Brendan Loy]

However, with a 2-loss "champion," I need to say it again: the BCS system sucks. If App State can figure out how to have their students take their final exams even though they have playoffs, why can't Virginia?

While I agree with you that the BCS sucks (as you know), it does need to be pointed out that there's some level of self-contradiction here. App State, which you cite as the model we should be emulating, is in fact also a "2-loss champion." In a playoff system, there would be more 2-loss champions, not less. Heck, there'd be 3-loss champions.

[jlr]

Yeah, I didn't think too long or hard about that one.

But if we were to take YOUR idea of only taking conference champions, it would be a lot less likely.

[David K.]

If the academic argument were the only one, perhaps you'd have a point, but its only one of a number of factors. The BCS may be somewhat crappy, but a playoff system just doesn't strike me as significantly better either.