I watched a number of friends flunk out of majors at VT and ended up graduating with "jock" degrees because their priorities weren't the same as other more academically inclined individuals.

We all know athletes aren't held to the same academic standards as regular students, and that's reasonable if the college desires their unique skills equally, just like a business hiring a top salesperson without a degree. If you let in an athlete with a 2.5 HS GPA, and you let them choose a hard major, chances are they lose eligibility, their ability to play, and ultimately their degree.

The argument can easily be made that pushing athletes into "jock degrees" is a net positive for players as they'll actually graduate with a degree vs not getting one. The name on that degree means more than the major in many cases if you're talking strictly earning potential.