When investigations find that college athletes are given special treatment as far as grades are concerned, and that they even have courses made up for them that they don't have to attend, it does not look good for the future of any college athlete who is graduating. However, there may be hope for the college athlete, even if he or she does not get hired by professional sports teams.
             First of all, colleges vie for the best high school athletes, whether or not they have a good grade point average. Having a winning team or an almost winning team can increase the chances of recruiting more winning athletes. Statistics show that when a college becomes a near-winner, admissions to that college increase:
             The results suggest that teams that barely won performed no better the following year compared to teams that barely lost. However, the colleges that barely won experienced a greater increase in the number of SAT scores that were sent to them the following year relative to the colleges that barely lost.
             Not only do colleges find they win more athletes, but they win more attention and more applications to their school when they have a winning, or almost winning year.
             Once they have enrolled their athletes, colleges do all they can to keep them, including assisting them with enrollment, planning, finances, donating supplies and whatever else they need. At Indianapolis, a former St. John's basketball coach has found a way to help athletes balance class work with the hectic team schedule. He gives the athletes a digital video system that can be played on computers, cell phones or iPods. It will be presented as a solution for many schools at the Intercollegiate Athletic Forum in New York City this week.
             By viewing their classes on the VBrick System, as they call it, the students can attend class via their chosen technological assistance and if they don't understand something, can view the class over and over, for retention....