College football jeopardized
By Katie Johnson
sports editor

A recent ruling by a federal judge could leave college football changed forever.
Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled last week that suspended Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett should be allowed to enter the NFL draft in April.
Previously, the NFL was the only sport that did not draft directly from high school.
The players had to be out of high school for three years, and because there is no minor league for football, the talented players attended college on scholarship.
That all ended when suspended Clarett declared himself for the upcoming draft.
The NFL quickly told him he was not eligible, and Clarett countered by filing a lawsuit claiming the NFL does not have the authority to determine eligibility for the draft.
Legally speaking, this day had been coming for a long time. To say someone must be three years out of high school is in direct violation of the Equal Rights Act and must be considered discrimination.
The NFL believes differently and is appealing the decision.
Regardless, the NFL has no legal right to say its players must be a certain age or maturity. However, the legal aspect is not what intrigues and worries the sports fan. It is the social aspect.
Since there is no minor league for the NFL, college football has always been considered the future of the NFL.
This concept is all about to change.
Not only will scouts be out in high schools looking for the next Clarett, but college football will be drained—potentially immediately—from young hopefuls looking for a golden opportunity.
Few, if any, football players graduating from high school would turn down a potential NFL career to go to college and get a degree.
They will have to look greed in the eye and decide whether money or academics is more important.
These young men will miss an opportunity to receive a college degree with a scholarship.
The situation is further complicated by the prospect that all players who join the draft will not make it in the big leagues.
Most will not go back to college but will get whatever job they can and give up on their academic potential.
Money set aside, let’s consider another aspect. The entertainment of college football will be gone. No longer will the games be intense and the talent overwhelming.
This early draft will do to college football what it did to college basketball.
The game will become second-rate and meaningless.
College football will no longer be the breeding ground for the next NFL greats.
Instead, the NFL will always be calling, beckoning players to achieve that pro status.
For society’s sake and for the sake of anti-discrimination laws, Clarett should have won his suit.
Then again, for football’s sake, we should all hope the NFL wins the appeal (or better yet creates a minor league) so we can still enjoy high-quality college football.