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It is no secret that NCAA sports are a huge cash cow for universities. The millions upon millions that schools realize from having top notch programs support a ton of other university activities. And us sports nuts are a major part of that process. Even those academics that have no interest in sports appreciate the money that an NCAA contender puts into the kitty. Michigan State, is now nearly as difficult to get into as Michigan in large part because incoming students flock to schools with successful sports programs. The recent success MSU has enjoyed on the hardwoods has bolstered freshman applications more than any academic accolades that the school might be able to brag about.

Our zeal for those games drives that engine. And of course it goes on everywhere.

Anyone who has ever played a college sport at any level knows that the time and effort required to be a part of an athletic program is every bit as intense as a full time job.

Here is an outside of the box idea. Since the reality is that money is the driving force behind the indiscretions, allow those athletes to benefit from endorsements, with monies earned escrow-ed and receipt of those monies contingent upon the completion of a four year degree from that university. Monies earned by non graduating athletes would go into the schools academic scholarship funds. This way the school would have a vested interest in both graduating athletes, and graduating them legitimately. Also, a top notch athlete that could garner substantial earnings would have a vested interest in completing a degree, so he or she could get the cash.

There would be no compelling reason for a school to make things easier for an average or below average athlete, as there would be an academically better average athlete waiting to take his place. An excellent athlete would have to compete academically for his money and a school would be legally obligated by business law to provide educational challenges in step with the norm of the institution....i.e. they couldn't make it tougher for them but they would have an interest in making it fair.

Some had suggested tying athletic scholarships into graduation rates, but this would only encourage more cheating....unless there was a $$$ incentive for all parties involved.

Of course, everyone would first have to admit that college athletics is really about the money....so it would never happen.

I am not suggesting that the university could pay athletes. Athletes would be allowed to benefit from endorsement deals cut along with the university with the caviot that to see the financial benefit contingent upon graduation via legitimate school standards. That money would support school academic scholorships in the event the student athlete did not graduate. It would then be in the interest of the university to expect these athletes to pass honest classes.

And while it is true that across the board most schools do not have profitablr athletic programs, there are many schools that show incredible profits for certain sports. In 2006 UNC basketball program was well over 12 million bucks in the black and their very average footbal team saw a profit of over 7 million (stats published by Sports Media Review).

These profitable sports, support sports that are less profitable. And even schools that lose a few bucks gain great value from successful teams, so it is considered money well spent. It now takes pretty much a 3.5 to get a kid a sure nod in as a frosh at MSU. That is, in large part because the pool of incoming freshman applications increases with the success of major sport athletic teams. Schools such as Michigan, that boast academics that compete with Ivy League schools are going to land a certain number of kids deciding between their institution and say, Yale because those kids want part of their experience to be cheering for a top notch team.

So effectively, losing a few bucks on athletics is more often than not, money well spent. The reality is, a school can go out and spent a few million bucks on PR and advertising to recruit students, but the same commitment to athletics will give them better results.

We are still very much a culture that loves to honor our gladiators. At the same time, we are also a culture that respects our right to live and work for our own self interest. Perhaps it is time to call it what it really is and design a system that will keep those programs academically honest?

Take OJ Mayo. He is doing a year of school for one reason. Because he has to do so to get drafted. An incentive for he and the university to strike a shoe deal that could put a few cool million in his pocket to take the education portion of his schooling seriously would go a long ways in bolstering the integrety of academic athletics. And should he choose to blow off the school portion and say no to finishing after he gets drafted next year, that cool few mil could pave the way in paying for more than a few kids who are interested in getting a degree but can't afford it.

But like I say, the NCAA would have to admit that there is serious financial value to their top athletes.....it won't happen.