<p>fencersmother, I think athletic programs get most (if not all) of their funding from their revenue sports (Football and Basketball) and from alumni support. I am fairly certain Alumni are more concerned with winning championships than with ensuring that US citizens are given preference in making the team. Furthermore, coaches’ services are retained for winning games, so I would hope that, for the sake of self-preservation, they will recruit the best players possible. </p>
<p>Finally, the difference in tuition costs between out-of-staters/international and in-statersis probably greater than the amount tax-payers pay toward college education budgets in their lifetime. Many public universities today rely as much on OOS tuition than on state funding.</p>
<p>This said, I agree that athletes have to be held to a much, much, much higher standard. No legitimate college graduation, no professional career. Simple as that. Athletes (as well as musicians, models and actors) are big time role models. They should be held at a higher standard.</p>