I personally loathe the college sports scene. Anyone that thinks those 'student athletes' are playing sports and getting an education without compensation has their head in the sand.
edit - I did not not mean to turn the discussion in a negative way..that is just my opinion. Now, if you've managed to work the sports system well enough and decided it is OK to ping pong your brain inside your skull long enough to be a multi-millionaire, and retire early enough in life to enjoy those sacrifices, then I guess you got one over on us working stiffs.
(BTW- I love NFL football, and I recognize that colleges are recruits. It is sad what we are learning about CTE and related issues, whether it is football/basketball/NASCAR/whatever.)
And, just for the record, I can't tell you how many 'under-the-powerlines' football games I played in my neighborhood, and I played rugby in high school. I have two dead teeth to prove it.
I agree with Russ. The life skills gathered from a forum like this are far more valuable to me than anything an athlete gains playing in the final of anything.