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AnaNas

There’s no doubt that the existence of such practice as handing out athletic scholarships is ridiculous in its nature. Universities are supposed to be academic institutions where special emphasis is placed on in-depth study, profound knowledge and scientific research. The fact that athletic scholarships are basically nonexistent in the rest of the world pretty much speaks for itself. They are a slap in the face for academically inclined school leavers who are likely to have their well-deserved scholarship taken away by sportsmen.

starphanietran

I agree that sports doesn't meet the requirements of intellectual importance, but there are other traits gained in the experience of being on a sport team. For example, studying can be a solo activity whereas in sports, the fate of the team is determined by each's individual's effort they put in. Even in the most independent sport such as Cross Country is scored based on teamwork.

Secondly, mental toughness that leads to improvement in physical progress is applicable in the real world. There is no one who is naturally smart- it's more of the effort and time they put into a passion, and in this case, a sport. Not everyone gets a scholarship- only the best of the best (I'm talking about nationally), but they had to sacrifice something to get there: time and focus, hence why most athletes are on the lower scale of intelligence. The athlete has to have measurable credit for there work.

Lastly, being an athlete is finding the balance in their schedule and it is DIFFICULT. Practice everyday is mentally and physically exhausting. You got to fuel up, take care of your body, and on top of that manage your school life which is not limited to friends, family, grades, homework, etc. 

K_Michael

"they had to sacrifice something to get there: time and focus, hence why most athletes are on the lower scale of intelligence."
There are several individuals on my high school basketball team taking advanced math and honors classes. Similarly, orchestra and band students aren't inherently worse at the rest of their classes because of the time required by music. 
The main reason universities have athletic scholarships is so they can get returns on that money by churning out a star player or two every couple years. 

MayCaesar

One of the primary determinants of success in intellectual fields is the ability to get through obstacles, to push hard in the face of resistance, to be able to work hard and consistently. Successful athletes have demonstrated that ability by succeeding in a very harsh competitive world, where you have to constantly work on your skills and keep going forward despite numerous setbacks and failures.

There is a reason almost all truly successful people are usually also fit, follow a healthy diet, etc. It all comes in one package.

Universities do not want nerds in glasses who sit in their basements with books all day. Universities want performers and achievers, people who will take an active role in developing their field, who will bring scientific results and who will do public outreach in order to increase funding of the field. Highly energetic and ambitious people are required for that, and successful athletes have demonstrated these traits perfectly.

As someone pursuing an academic career myself, I do not want "book smart" people working in my team. I do not want people who can take this integral or memorize that formula. I want people who will take an active role in my projects and develop them into something far bigger than I expected at the beginning. For that, I need leaders, I need active and energetic achievers who, rather than knowing a lot, can learn a lot and bring in a lot. Athletes would definitely be very high on my list of potential candidates.

That said, athletic achievements a lot definitely do not constitute a sufficient ground for hiring someone. If I need to fill a vacancy in a PhD law program, then I will expect you to have some achievements in the law field. If all you have to show is your football career, while in the field of law you just took some small bachelor's studies and have not published a single paper - then you will have a low chance to be admitted. 
The entire package is important.

whiteflame

As I see it, there are two questions that we have to answer to determine whether we should have academic scholarships:

1) Do they benefit the schools?
2) Do they benefit students?

The answer to the first question is pretty much certain: yes. They bring a lot of money into the school, they generate a lot of attention from other schools, and it functions as a strong recruitment tool, both for academic students and athletic students. Just because schools are chiefly aimed at academic pursuits doesn't mean that they lose something in the push to improve their athletic performance.

I would argue that the answer to the second is similarly obvious: yes. For one, it brings in a greater diversity of students. Pure academics will always flock to colleges, though athletes, particularly very successful ones, will usually have other choices. The different mindsets that go into being an athlete are themselves valuable, though as many of those who pursue athletics as a career are from minority groups, there is also diversity gained in that respect. It is also common among poorer groups (i.e. those that need these scholarships to attend college) to view athletics as their sole means of escaping poverty. An athletic scholarship offers them an opportunity to pursue an education as well, rather than subjecting themselves to a system that often leads to short careers, injuries, and a small likelihood of success. Particularly as many students come from schools where their education wasn't anywhere near par, meaning that there was little opportunity for them to succeed academically, increased access to a good education is absolutely necessary.

michaellaw

@AnaNas ;
At Most Schools without the income that these athletes provide, the money for the math, science, band and other scholarships would not be available.