No Simple Solution for Why Student-Athletes Continue to Struggle in Classroom

My father used to tell me “there are many simple but wrong answers to life’s complex questions,” and the older I get the truer I find his statement. The questions of what is at the root and how to ameliorate the low academic performance of many student-athletes are long-documented. Several simple answers have been proposed, some surreptitious, none totally effective. It seems, as my dad would remind me, there is no simple solution for the question at hand, and multiple articles this week confirm his old axiom.

Understanding What Student-Athletes Value Most

In a piece published by Time.com, UCLA professor Daniel Oppenheimer theorizes that many student-athletes fail due to an impulse to fit into a culture where the perception is that academic performance is unimportant. This desire to assimilate is problematic for student-athletes because many believe their peers don’t take academics seriously. In order to fit in, they then take easy courses, spend less time on homework, and generally don’t dedicate themselves to their studies. This then reinforces the notion that athletes don’t highly regard their academics, creating, as Oppenheimer puts it, “a distressing and self-perpetuating cycle” where “tight-knit student athletes will seek ways of fitting into a culture that they perceive as neglecting academics…knowing that their habits are observed by teammates.”



The irony of the situation according to Oppenheimer is that the perception many student-athletes hold regarding their teammates’ apathy towards academics is inaccurate. In fact, according to Oppenheimer’s study described in the article, the average student-athlete cares more about his/her studies than his/her athletics, ranking the value of academics a nine out of ten, while only placing athletics at 8.5. This then leads to Oppenheimer’s suggestion that in order to help student-athletes succeed in the classroom, they must be disabused of the notion that their fellow athletes don’t care about academics, thus breaking the trend of assimilation by failure.

What Is The Real Cause Of The Issue?

Unfortunately, while Oppenheimer’s observations might help with a portion of the problem at hand, a second study that has come to light this week complicates his solution. According to the study conducted by the Pac-12, for many the current requirements of college athletics are simply too overwhelming for effective academics, regardless of value or priority. While NCAA rules theoretically limit time spent on athletics to twenty hours a week, the Pac-12 study shows that student-athletes spend closer to fifty hours each week on their sport. Additionally, the Pac-12 report indicates an overwhelming majority (80%) of student-athletes have missed class because of athletic commitments and over half say they do not have enough time to study for tests. Moreover, the balance necessary for a healthy lifestyle is thrown-off as well, as the Pac-12 study reveals that two-thirds of student-athletes do not have the time to engage in on-campus activities, and that sleep is the “top thing their athletic commitments prevent them from doing.” It appears that even if there was a change in outlook regarding academic performance for student-athletes, there might not be the time or energy necessary to truly excel in the classroom.

The lower academic performance of student-athletes has been a concerning issue for educators and administrators for years, and any number of solutions have been attempted. However, as the recent studies by Daniel Oppenheimer and the Pac-12 show, the roots of the problem are multifarious, extending beyond the classroom itself into the culture of athletic teams, the mindsets of college students, and the demands of multi-million dollar programs. It is only by addressing all the complexities that administrators can help student-athletes eventually find the academic success their scholarships are theoretically affording them. Once again, it seems simple solutions, although attractive, won’t be effective.

Feature image via J. Miller/University of Wisconsin-Madison