The IU Kelley School of Business has partnered with the NFL Players Association to create customized graduate-level academic programs for current and former NFL ?players.
While the Indiana Daily Student Editorial Board wholeheartedly supports this program, we have to acknowledge that having the NFLPA as a partner would undoubtedly be good for the “business” of the school.
There are, of course, practical merits of the program: free advertising, aid, etc.
All too often athletes are seen as entertainment instead of ?people.
Even at IU we find ourselves treating our athletes, such as our basketball players, like commodities, pushing them through their academics so they can win games for us.
Earlier this year, the University of North Carolina came under fire for reportedly severely neglecting the academic life of its student athletes.
In a report by CNN, some allegedly only had an elementary school reading level, and it appeared the school was fudging their GPAs to keep them on the sports teams.
It seems we fail to take into consideration the humanity of an athlete.
We will use them for as long as we can to boost the reputations of whatever institution they play for, and then we are done.
The editorial board believes a program like this finally recognizes that we cannot treat ?retired athletes like lame horses, killing their careers and, more often than not, forcing them into poverty.
Many such athletes spend their lives wholly dedicated to their sport but find themselves abandoned by the NFL after their sports career without any guidance for possible future career options, according to ESPN.
In establishing this partnership, the business school is offering academic programs for athletes that range from professional and certificate programs to MBA programs.
The structure of the programs will require that the athletes undergo an initial career development program and take some online non-credit courses before they can enroll in credit-bearing certificate and MBA programs.
Nolan Harrison III, the NFLPA’s senior director of former players, said the organization is trying to teach its players to start looking at what to do ?post-career.
He expressed his excitement about the opportunity for players in a Sept. 16 IDS article.
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith is likewise excited about this opportunity Kelley is offering to the players.
He says the NFLPA takes pride in “helping our members be knowledgeable about the business of football and putting them on the right path to succeed off the field.”
He said he believes this newly established relationship with IU’s business school will achieve both these objectives.
An academic program such as the one offered by IU’s business school enables athletes to better manage their money and career goals.
While football is a popular type of entertainment for many in the United States, it’s also important to note that behind the scenes, NFL athletes are people, too.
They need to live a life after their sports career and find ?viable ways to make a living.
This program offered by the business school directly tackles the problem of re-employment for athletes.
However, we have to wonder about the further ?implications of this program.
How much free prestige and merit will the business school gain because a famous athlete may soon be wandering its halls?
This program shouldn’t be another way in which an institution, be it the Kelley School of Business or any other school that chooses to start a similar MBA program, uses an athlete to gain prestige and popularity.
We also hope to see the business school include other sports besides football in the future.
That way, all athletes can be given the same opportunities, and instead of running the risk of simply using them to gain a reputation for our programs, we are actually helping them succeed post-retirement.
