@northwesty, I honestly don’t care much about admissions standards, because I think that people who show the dedication necessary to be that successful at a given sport add something to a community in much the same way that an equally talented musician, robotics guy, or a chess player does. I don’t know about you, but I learned a lot more in college from the people around me than in class from my professors.
I do object to the control schools like Alabama exert over their athlete’s schedules and general academic endeavors. I think that is a big difference between the Alabama’s and William’s of the world. But yeah, sports are part and parcel of the University culture in the US. Personally, I think that is a net positive, because I think sports can teach us lessons that you can not learn in many other places.