Let's hear it for the 25-hour day and the eight-day week

The Huffington Post called my attention to a study today commissioned by the Pac-12 Conference schools to assess the time demands on college athletes and assess possible areas for reform.

The study (Arizona, Utah and USC declined to participate) found that athletes spend 50 hours a week on sports during their competitive season.

To put that in perspective, that’s 10 hours a week more than most people work, and then these athletes – both men and women – have to go to class and study.

The athletes didn’t mind spending so much time practicing, meeting, playing and traveling because they said they accepted that as the price for competing at the highest level of their sports. Nevertheless, they did complain about not having enough time to prepare for tests, missing classes, missing social activities, not being accepted as regular students, being forced to participate in “voluntary” practices and not getting enough sleep.

What’s the thing about college they’d like to change most? Having enough time for a part-time job.

Seems to me like cognitive dissonance at the highest level of academia.