re: Wall Street Journal: Why College Football should be banned

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Well then, let's allow straight-up "Sports Entertainment" majors. Teach kids wanting to be pro athletes the business side of sports as well as train them physically to become a pro athlete. Make it a bona fide course of study instead of engaging in the current charade. But that might only further encourage massive athletic departments and higher emphasis on sports than other fields of study. Not sure that would be a good thing.

FWIW, I don't think ALL college sports should be gutted. I just think the Big Business of college sports, notably football, has gotten out of hand. Too much television and money involved.

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I wouldn't have a problem with such a major. Whether academia finds "sports entertainment" a worthwhile pursuit or not, it is in fact a large and lucrative industry that provides many high paying jobs on and off the field/court/course. From that standpoint, it makes as much sense to have a major in sports entertainment as it does some of the more abstract majors like Philosophy. As long as such a major doesn't take away from the sciences and business at a school then it could only be a positive imho.

There is no doubt a lot of money involved in college athletics especially football. The solution is to pass rules and legislation that results in the big money sports enhancing the academic experience at colleges. Total elimination of college sports is an incredibly shortsighted idea unless every conceivable idea to make its impact on colleges a net positive isn't first totally exhausted.