Here’s How To Stop Corruption In College Football

Here’s a sneak preview of my column for Sunday:

Jim Tressel resigns. USC is stripped of a national championship. Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State in disgrace and shame — assuming that he has a conscience.

With the headlines of the past two weeks, these are dark, dark times at two of college football’s marquee programs.

Throw in a scandal at the Fiesta Bowl, and a push from Congress in favor of a playoff, and the lingering stench from Cam Newton’s recruitment to Auburn — and the sun isn’t exactly shining on the sport as a whole.

Heck, you half-expect Touchdown Jesus to lower his arms out of embarrassment.

Yet through all of the teeth-gnashing and all of the pontificating, nobody is asking the most pertinent question about the state of big-time college sports: Why are colleges the de facto minor leagues for the NFL and the NBA?

Think about it. Many of America’s colleges, purportedly founded for the purpose of education and enlightenment, are best-known as a training ground for billion-dollar industries that have nothing to do with education.

How does this make sense?

Actually, I might run it before Sunday. Either way, you can read more in the paper and online soon. Any thoughts?