You may have heard about the O’Bannon trial. Ed O’Bannon v. the NCAA In a case where the O’Bannon team is claiming that the NCAA is wrongfully profiting off of the images and likenesses of student-athletes with the athletes seeing none of the profit.
The NCAA is arguing — quite unsuccessfully in court — that the athletes are compensated in ways of scholarships that things like cost of tuition, room and board, food and other benefits given to college athletes.
However, while the NCAA is floundering in court to prove their point, the University of Florida set a good example of the definition of student-athlete.
On Friday, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive released the names of the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and 55 student-athletes at the University of Florida were recognized.
To make the honor role, athletes need to meet four criteria.
1) Have a GPA of 3.00 for either the preceding academic year or have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution;
2) Be on scholarship, a letter-winner.
3) Have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and
4) Have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.
The 55 players that were added to the list on Friday gave Florida an astonishing 239 student-athletes to earn academic honors in the calendar year (53 on fall list; 59 winter, 72 on spring and 55 on the First-Year Honor Roll.)
Included on the list of 55 freshmen were seven football players — Caleb Brantley, Jarrad Davis, Vernon Hargreaves III, Antonio Riles, Jordan Sherit, Johnny Townsend and Nick Washington.
A complete list of all 55 student-athletes can be found here.