Banning college football

College football has become a major part of college campus life. For some colleges it is the major focus, even more than actual education. That is a problem. It is a distraction for the players, where only a small percentage of them actually get to play professional football, colleges spend insane amounts of money on the football program, and finally it causes the unpaid players to get hurt. Banning college football might be the only solution.

College football is a major distraction for the players themselves, but also the students that don’t even play football. Journalist Buzz Bissinger said during an Intelligence Squared debate, “It sucks all the air out of the room.” The player themselves spend nearly all their time on playing, not only during the season but also in the off-season to train, instead of doing what they really should at a college; learn.

College football costs a lot of money. The money goes to coaches, stadiums, gear, and so on. Urban Meyer, head coach for The Ohio State University, earned $24 million over six seasons. The University of Maryland spent $50.8 million to modernize their stadium. "These schools travel enormous distances to play games. So that means you're missing class, you're spending money," Bissinger said to Gothamist.com. This is a college. Colleges are for education, so shouldn’t all these millions be spent on better education than sports programs?

Playing football causes major brain injuries. Professional football players know the risks, and get compensated for it by earning a lot of money. College football players get a scholarship to the school, but does this really make up for the brain injury they may suffer? “I have no problem whatsoever with grown men choosing to participate in a potentially lethal profession. But college is a different matter,” journalist Malcolm Gladwell said to Sportsillustrated.com.

Banning it does seem like a very drastic solution, but maybe the only one. Make a minor league paid by the NFL instead of having players play at college. That way it won’t be a distraction for college students, while football players playing in the minor league will be able to focus their full attention on playing, instead of also trying to pass their classes. Also the focus of colleges and universities, and thereby money, will turn back to education.