When it comes to college athletics, I’ve always thought the tail tends to wag the dog. Many schools have become known more for athletes than academics, at least to the general public. So maybe a reality check is in order.
On January 2nd, Time.com published a list of top football universities ranked by academic achievement as well as the bowl playoff ranking. The results were compiled by the Washington think tank New America and are based on the schools’ football graduation success rates.
The academic top spot was Stanford (1st in academics, 18th for football playoffs, pictured), followed by Clemson (ranked second in both measures), Temple (3,24), Virginia Tech (4,22), and Penn State (5,5). Alabama, first in the playoff rankings, is seventh academically.
So it’s good to see some school doing well in football are also doing well by the athletes who got them there.
To read the complete list and exactly how the rankings were computed, visit http://time.com/4606863/college-football-top-25-2016-ranked-by-academics/?xid=newsletter-brief . The photo came from that website.
SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 15: Members of the Stanford Cardinal celebrate after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 15, 2016 in South Bend, Indiana. Stanford defeated Notre Dame 17-10. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)