There are so many areas of study involved in football. Theory, tactics, physics, history. I would argue that a degree in football could lead to a job in coaching or administration. It's better than the degrees the players are pursuing now and will never use. I know a D1 starting QB that is driving a delivery truck because his degree in Social Science is worthless.
What are your thoughts?

(01-09-2024 12:47 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  There are so many areas of study involved in football. Theory, tactics, physics, history. I would argue that a degree in football could lead to a job in coaching or administration. It's better than the degrees the players are pursuing now and will never use. I know a D1 starting QB that is driving a delivery truck because his degree in Social Science is worthless.
What are your thoughts?

I would argue that playing is enough experience to get a job coaching or in administration, so no that would be a useless major.

Worse than the individualized study JMU has a few players doing.

We have this - https://www.jmu.edu/academics/undergradu...ment.shtml

But totally agree...maybe there should be "concentration areas" by sport?

(01-09-2024 01:17 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  But totally agree...maybe there should be "concentration areas" by sport?

Yeah that would work.
How many times have you seen punt returners fair catch inside the 10 over the last few seasons? I see this topic on the Troy board every time it happens. The old theory used to be "plant your feet on the 10 and let the ball go". Now, it seems punters have figured out a way to get the ball to bounce backwards away from the endzone, so letting the ball go would lead to bad or worse field position.
I think there is so much more to the game than a player can get outside of his designated position study.

If anything, that should be an example in a physics/geometry class, not a major. Sports should not be an anchor to the academic mission (nor to the kid) no matter the cost. University sanctioned NIL - in its current state - is a mess.

I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

(01-09-2024 01:40 PM)Eagleyed Wrote:  I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

There are very few exceptions to players graduating with degrees that do not offer a return on their investment. Social science is good for what?

Football should be a marketing subsidiary of the University. Nobody cares if the players are in school/students. We just want to watch football. Why keep up the pretense of student athletes? That is a thing of the past.

Think of NASCAR marketing.

(01-09-2024 01:31 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 01:17 PM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  But totally agree...maybe there should be "concentration areas" by sport?

Yeah that would work.
How many times have you seen punt returners fair catch inside the 10 over the last few seasons? I see this topic on the Troy board every time it happens. The old theory used to be "plant your feet on the 10 and let the ball go". Now, it seems punters have figured out a way to get the ball to bounce backwards away from the endzone, so letting the ball go would lead to bad or worse field position.
I think there is so much more to the game than a player can get outside of his designated position study.

haha...yes - Xs and Os could be a concentration on it's own...
but we had the opposite problem - so many "let it bounce" in the 20s....lordy that was aggravating

Universities recruit out of state players and then direct them to majors that aren’t offered in the home state so in state tuition is granted.

The entire system is jacked.

Kids are receiving NIL money to pay tuition so the school is saved.

Kids are then forced off their parents tax returns increasing the parents tax burden while the child receives 1099 income.

Let’s see how kids manage that 40% tax.

(01-09-2024 02:07 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 01:40 PM)Eagleyed Wrote:  I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

There are very few exceptions to players graduating with degrees that do not offer a return on their investment. Social science is good for what?

Was he restricted to that degree? Would he have gone to college at all without a scholarship? Instead of changing the curriculum, why not offer counseling to determine a viable degree that meets their capabilities and also can provide a living in case a career in football doesn't pan out? I mean social science isn't a mandatory degree is it? Seems like the guy in question went with the easiest path. Play football like you're going pro, play school like you're not. It's free.

(01-09-2024 04:11 PM)WinstonTheWolf Wrote:  Football should be a marketing subsidiary of the University. Nobody cares if the players are in school/students. We just want to watch football. Why keep up the pretense of student athletes? That is a thing of the past.

Think of NASCAR marketing.

This was bad idea, I can’t see anything through my facemask, but I do love fig newtons.

(01-09-2024 02:07 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 01:40 PM)Eagleyed Wrote:  I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

There are very few exceptions to players graduating with degrees that do not offer a return on their investment. Social science is good for what?

Well as I said a lot choose degrees in things like sports medicine and rehab. After my ankle got shattered I had to have extensive rehab. Half the team at the institute was former college football players. Pretty much everyone played a sport. The rehab specialized for the most part in treating sports related injuries so it seemed to be a pipeline into the industry.

Does having a major in football give careers that people otherwise would not have? I don't see it. If they were going to coach football or go pro football I don't think having a degree in it is going to change that.

(01-09-2024 07:57 PM)MUther Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 02:07 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 01:40 PM)Eagleyed Wrote:  I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

There are very few exceptions to players graduating with degrees that do not offer a return on their investment. Social science is good for what?

Was he restricted to that degree? Would he have gone to college at all without a scholarship?

Honestly, most college football players do not get to pick their major. They are placed in majors to keep them eligible. There are academic all americans that graduate with great majors and even earn graduate degrees, but too many players don't even graduate.

(01-10-2024 12:15 AM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 07:57 PM)MUther Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 02:07 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 01:40 PM)Eagleyed Wrote:  I have an issue with the degree they are getting being considered useless. Most of them do not go pro or become coaches. If all of them graduate with a degree in football it could hurt players who end up doing something else. I know sports medicine and rehab are popular degrees for players in a field that earns good money and has lots of jobs. If they just got a football degree they wouldn't be able to go into that field.

There are very few exceptions to players graduating with degrees that do not offer a return on their investment. Social science is good for what?

Was he restricted to that degree? Would he have gone to college at all without a scholarship?

Honestly, most college football players do not get to pick their major. They are placed in majors to keep them eligible. There are academic all americans that graduate with great majors and even earn graduate degrees, but too many players don't even graduate.

We don't see that much unless they transfer and we have no control over that. I'd say an overwhelming percentage of our guys have their degrees before they finish playing and many have a graduate degree or a good start on one. I don't know if we have a placeholder degree like that, but we probably do. I do know we've always been rated well when they put out the " on path to graduate" numbers for various athletic perks and degree percentages and we have good programs to help the Student-Athletes get through whatever classes they are pursuing.

Don't take this the wrong way, but UAB used to hate Troy and often referred to them as a diploma mill. What I'm asking is, and I really don't know, is this a Troy problem more than a college sports problem? I feel like we make a genuine effort to fit people into the best situation we can for them with every resource at their disposal but maybe I'm just naive. And I'm definitely not saying we don't cook the books to get guys eligible like everyone else does. I'm sure we're no angels.

Troy’s GSR isn’t last in the SBC at 71 and Marshall isn’t first at 80. As for comparing Troy to UAB, you don’t measure up to their 83 either.

https://web3.ncaa.org/aprsearch/gsrsearch

(01-10-2024 07:15 AM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  Troy’s GSR isn’t last in the SBC at 71 and Marshall isn’t first at 80. As for comparing Troy to UAB, you don’t measure up to their 83 either.

https://web3.ncaa.org/aprsearch/gsrsearch

I didn't compare them to you, I said they used to say that about you, in old CUSA, specifically when we inquired why you weren't added to CUSA in 2013ish. I wasn't even saying we do it better. I was saying it doesn't seem to be a problem here and GSR doesn't matter much if your guys are funneled into a bullsht degree program with no future. Bottom line is the guy should have made more out of his paid for education if he didn't want to do what he does for a living and adding a football degree isn't going to change that.

(01-09-2024 12:47 PM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  There are so many areas of study involved in football. Theory, tactics, physics, history. I would argue that a degree in football could lead to a job in coaching or administration. It's better than the degrees the players are pursuing now and will never use. I know a D1 starting QB that is driving a delivery truck because his degree in Social Science is worthless.
What are your thoughts?

You can get a degree in Sports Management already.

^ Sports Management is broad. I'm thinking more Football Science.

(01-10-2024 09:47 AM)Trojanbybirth Wrote:  ^ Sports Management is broad. I'm thinking more Football Science.

Football Science? That would be worthless unless you want to be a coach. Where as a degree in education would suffice as you can go straight into HS sports and teaching in the public school system. Universities generally take Graduate Assistants and slowly move them up the ranks for on the job training. The benefit of having a degree outside of the sport is that most athletes will not be employed in any sports related job once they graduate.

Only 1.6% of college football players go pro.
https://operations.nfl.com/journey-to-th...committee/