Since this is the education issue, I thought it might be fun to look back at the uncomfortable relationship between scholastic academics and athletics. The unnatural marriage of these two entities has been fraught with tension from the beginning.
It should be noted that the U.S. (and Canada to a lesser extent) are the only countries that attempt this odd balancing act. Athletics in schools is so ingrained in our culture we take it for granted this is the norm. In fact, throughout the rest of the world, club sports are not associated with educational institutions.
While sports have been a celebrated part of our educational institutions for over a century, concerns over academic integrity, eligibility, and the role of education in student development have shaped policies and practices over time. From the early 20th century to the present day, the balance between athletic success and academic achievement has remained a topic of debate and reform.
The roots of organized school sports in the United States date back to the late 19th century, when football, baseball, and track and field were first introduced in colleges. At the time, athletics were seen as a way to build character and promote physical health among young men. However, academic considerations were minimal. “Student-athletes” were often selected for their physical prowess rather than scholarly aptitude, and formal rules governing academic eligibility were largely absent.
When I started researching my books, I was always amazed and confused when local newspapers of the early 20th century reported baseball, basketball and football games where Waynesburg High School defeated Waynesburg College. I then discovered that the “high school” team was usually just men around town who enjoyed embarrassing the scholarly nerds up on the hill.
In 1912, the Waynesburg High School Athletic Association was formed, which required their teams’ players to actually attend classes there.
The earliest collegiate sports programs, such as those at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, prioritized competition and prestige over academics. This lack of oversight led to concerns about professionalism in college sports, with some athletes receiving financial incentives and playing for multiple schools under assumed names.
During this period, when W&J played Waynesburg College in baseball, they would hire a pitcher from the Pirates for $100 a game. Such practices prompted calls for reform to ensure that student-athletes were, first and foremost, students.
In response to growing concerns about the dangers and lack of regulation in college football, President Theodore Roosevelt convened a meeting in 1905 that eventually led to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS), which became the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1910. The NCAA was established to create standards and ensure safety and fairness in college sports. Roosevelt’s interest was spurred by the fact his son was badly injured while playing for Harvard and nearly lost his life.
One of the NCAA’s primary concerns became the enforcement of academic standards. Throughout the early 20th century, it developed rules to monitor student-athlete eligibility, such as requiring players to be enrolled full-time and maintain passing grades. These measures, however, were often inconsistently enforced and varied from school to school.
In 1924, Waynesburg College hired former W&J star Britt Patterson as coach. Local businesses raised $25,000 for the Jackets program to go “big time.” Patterson boarded a train bound for the mid-west with a pile of cash. He bought two running backs. One from the University of Illinois and the other from the University of Michigan. Although, he had a very successful season, the school changed direction again at the end of that year because they were facing a $7,000 budget deficit in the athletic department.
As high school sports gained popularity during the 20th century, many of the same challenges seen at the collegiate level emerged. State athletic associations were created to oversee competitions and establish eligibility rules. The National Federation of State High School Associations, founded in 1920, helped promote consistency in rules across states.
In the 20s and 30s, a couple of well-known local high school coaches would sneak their alumni into games. I found several occasions where they even hired Waynesburg College players. After they were discovered, those players were chased from the field by riotous fans.
By the mid-20th century, most high school athletic programs required students to maintain a minimum GPA or receive a certain number of academic credits to remain eligible. However, enforcement depended heavily on individual schools and districts. In some areas, pressure to win led to the bending or ignoring of rules.
In the 1950s and 1960s, several scandals involving academic fraud and “diploma mill” recruiting shook the college sports world. Athletes were being passed through courses or enrolled in special programs with minimal academic rigor. These issues prompted the NCAA to strengthen academic eligibility requirements. Yet, enforcement remained “inconsistent.”
The 1980s marked a perceived turning point in the NCAA’s approach to academic standards. In 1983, Proposition 48 was introduced, requiring incoming athletes to have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in core high school courses and a minimum SAT or ACT score. Although controversial, Proposition 48 signaled a renewed attempt to emphasize academics.
These reforms led to some measurable improvements in student-athlete academic outcomes. Graduation rates increased, and schools invested more in academic support services for athletes, including tutoring, academic advisors, and learning specialists. At the high school level, eligibility standards have also become more uniform and rigorous. Most state athletic associations require students to pass a minimum number of courses each semester to participate in sports.
Despite the progress, the intersection of academics and athletics continues to face criticism. Balancing practice, travel, and competition with coursework remains a challenge. In high schools, concerns persist regarding the overemphasis on athletic success at the expense of academic achievement, especially in communities where sports are seen as a primary path to upward mobility.
However, the NCAA’s adoption of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in 2021 signaled a dramatic shift in the student-athlete paradigm, empowering athletes while raising new questions about the balance between athletics, academics, and commercial interests. It seems the issue has come full circle from the dawn of the last century.
When it comes to the “professionalization” of amateur sports, the veil of hypocrisy has been lifted, and we can now admit the unfortunate truth. When it comes to the academic/athletic relationship, the latter runs the show.
