The term “student athlete” is all too often an oxymoron.
Never has this been more apparent.
Many colleges and universities throughout our country have gone dark. Hundreds of thousands of students come this fall will learn remotely with one significant exception—the so-called student athlete.
College football is a business—make that big business. We are talking about many billions of dollars and, as always, money talks. Public and private colleges alike refuse to forego this enormous pot of gold, and so the games will go on. Sure, some colleges have cut back on the number of games that will be played but, by and large, football will be played. Fans may or may not be able to attend the games, but network television will be able to feed the starved public with all the football we can consume.
College football players are once again returning to campus to prepare for the upcoming season. The campus, which has been deemed unsafe for all the other students, is apparently safe enough for these college athletes. Several colleges have even asked these athletes, many of whom are there on scholarship, to sign waivers releasing them from any liability in case the athletes contract COVID-19. These bastions of higher education have no shame.
Burt Ross