Notre Dame is one of the most prestigious universities in the country to get into. The difficult academic regiment can take a toll on the best students around, so you know it can be draining on student athletes who must play and study at the same time.
Notre Dame’s athletic administration is reportedly taking a close look at how to best manage student-athletes who are at risk for academic difficulties at the school.
Fighting Irish football coach Brian Kelly believes the academic demands on his football players put his entire team at risk.
“I think we recognized that all of my football players are at-risk — all of them — really. Honestly, I don’t know that any of our players would get into the school by themselves right now with the academic standards the way they are. Maybe one or two of our players that are on scholarship,” Kelly said on Tuesday, per Notre Dame Insider. “So making sure that with the rigors that we put them in — playing on the road, playing night games, getting home at 4 o’clock in the morning, all of the demands that we place on them relative to the academics and going into an incredibly competitive academic classroom every day — we recognize this is a different group. And we have to provide all the resources necessary for them to succeed and don’t force them into finding shortcuts.”
As an example, former Irish quarterback Everett Golson served an academic suspension for the entire 2013 season and last year, five other players had to sit for academic issues as well.
NCAA rules allow for 20 hours of practice per week during the season, but that definitely doesn’t count hours spent working out, studying film and other various commitments.
