Miners lose scholarships

The most-recent docks in scholarships by the NCAA, due to academic shortfalls, shouldn't hurt UTEP football or men's basketball too much.

But it does pose this question: Wasn't UTEP's adding the "general studies" degree program supposed to help more students graduate — and remain academically eligible?

Previously, not only bad grades knocked a student-athletic  out,. But changing to a different major often meant ineligibility because rules said the athlete had to be on a par toward graduation in the declared major. Example: If you were a junior majoring in criminal justice, you had to have x number of credits toward that degree entering your junior year in order to remain eligible. It was somewhat complicated.

Anyway, the four docks in football can be spread out over two years; and with a program as large as major-college football (85 scholarship limit), the numbers on scholarships are usually in flux anyway. But two is still two. Eighty-five is still better than 83.

The one dock in basketball? Again, and especially with Coach Tim Floyd so adept at hiding the pea under a walnut shell, UTEP is not always at the limit of 14, anyway. Usually, though, coaches use an open hole to help pay a walk-on's tuition with the understanding it's only temporary financial help.

Here's what doesn't wash:

UTEP points out that some football players leave school in the spring semester of their senior year to get ready for the NFL Draft. C'mon. The NFL Draft? They had no shot at the NFL. They just were not serious students in the first place. Mercenaries!

Here's what's ironic:

UTEP, in a lot of ways, is becoming a program with several "mercenaries" on the football and men's basketball rosters. They are guys who have talent, but have left bigger schools for any one of several reasons. They are not here for academics, they are here to "go pro," as was Derek Caracter on last year's basketball team.

Bottom line: The "general studies" program, when it really kicks in, should help UTEP avoid losses of scholarships in the future.

Comments

[JAT]

Academics has always been an issue in UTEPia. We're below average athletically, academically, and at hiding the types of issues that get scholarships yanked. Dozens of colleges around the country are just much better at hiding their dirt.

Many players just go to class because it fills the time before practice. I don't buy that players were getting ready for the draft as they've done it at 6AM or late afternoon since the late 90s when I was out there attempting to get my 40-yard dash time down for NFL scouts.

Coaches and advisors are usually assigned to go around campus and check if players are actually going to class. The ones you have to babysit are almost always your star performers on the field/court so things here get gray pretty quickly.

UTEP accepts 99% of applicants so our standards are awful which makes it no wonder the athletes lag behind the National average. Stanford Athletics has probably never batted an eye at the Academic Progress Report and if they did it was for scratch paper in Calculus III.

We have the perfect storm for failure in UTEPia. BTW Joe, UTEP already has a General Studies Program -- it's called Multi-Disciplinary Studies or Criminal Justice (for athletes). FYI, I was one of two Biology majors on a UTEP roster of 100.

[Jefe]

I saw Stull's explanation to one of the local TV stations.
He mentioned how football players enroll in Spring but, don't go to class "to prepare for the NFL draft."

I wasn't sure if he was joking or lying.
Jutep players preparing for the NFL draft? I had to make sure it wasn't April 1st! LOL!

[OhMy]

UTEP is not known for its academics or athletics. There is great Mexican food down the road though.

[Ace]

Just remember, those Jco recruits are only wasting 2 yrs
worth of scholarships each if they survive. Safe bet
for the coaching? staff.

[NineteenRabbit]

What the heck are you doing writing about academics, Munch--is it not true that you flunked out of NMSU? And then, irony of ironies, you were hired by the El Paso Times to "write" sports--pretty funny given that you know scat about

1. academics
2. sports
3. the English language.

[a fan]

UTEP is the no. 1 Hispanic-serving university in the nation with a mission, if I am not mistaken, to serve as much of the population as possible. There is no way UTEP can be, or even should be, selective. This is why most of the students have take remedial courses.

There's no shame in that; it is just the reality.

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Education is our best foundation. If education system is suffering, what more the students? Hope this issue will be resolved.

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[Sports Science Course]

The NFL Draft? They had no shot at the NFL. They just were not serious students in the first place.

[Superannuation Fund]

Education is our best foundation. If education system is suffering, what more the students? Hope this issue will be resolved.

[Electricians]

Honesty I agree with you that changing to a different major often meant ineligibility because rules said the athlete had to be on a par toward graduation in the declared major. And it's not a joke to lose scholarships.

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