The Dark Side of College Football

At major colleges, "recruiting" is a euphemism for prostitution

As every red-blooded American knows, late April brings the NFL Draft, when “student athletes” from across the country get their shot at the big time. I admit to being a self-hating football fan … but at least one who’s willing to face the consequences of America’s unofficial religion. As I wrote in “Stop Watching Football”—advice I have not properly heeded—college football has become a multi-billion-dollar industry and, in effect, a minor league or developmental program for the NFL, with all costs borne by the universities.

An amusing and revealing trivia question: Who won the first Heisman Trophy? The answer is Jay Berwanger in 1935. He is almost completely unknown today. He didn’t attend Notre Dame or Michigan but the University of Chicago, whose athletic fields are most famous for being the sites for the development of the atomic bomb. Berwanger was also the first player ever taken in the NFL draft, but he elected not to go pro.

Only four years later, in 1939, UChicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins banned football outright, for utterly reactionary reasons: “In many colleges, it is possible for a boy to win 12 letters without learning how to write one.” The team returned in the ’60s, but in Division III, with athletes who could at least approximate the student body. President Hutchins was a curmudgeon, and a prophet of sorts. But even he could not envision what was to take place at universities over the next half-century—their transformation into entertainment industry.

In this year’s Draft, the most “controversial” prospect was University of Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter. He was projected to go No. 1 overall, until he was involved in a catastrophic car accident this past January. (Carter was ultimately drafted ninth by the Philadelphia Eagles.)

Carter’s teammate Devin Willock died in the incident, which occurred after a long-night celebrating Georgia's National Championship. The accident had all the markers of drunk-driving. Eyebrow-raising as well was the fact that a young staffer, "recruiting analyst" Chandler LeCroy (pictured above) was behind the wheel and also perished. I suspect there's a lot more to the story than is currently being reported. And it likely involves what every football fan knows is going on but doesn't want to talk about: the quasi-prostitution of students and staff in the "recruiting" process.

Things looked even worse when it was revealed that LeCroy was extremely drunk (two-to-three time the legal limit), driving over 100 mph, and racing another car driven by Jalen Carter, who was arrested. Worse still, she had accompanied the players at a strip club beforehand.

It's fair for a university to assign athletes "handlers": they're treated like gods on campus; they're increasingly professionalized; and there are, no doubt, many bad actors who’d try to take advantage of them. But LeCroy seemed less like a “handler” and more like a facilitator or even instigator.

Dave Willock, Devin Willock’s father, is now suing the University of Georgia in a wrongful-death case. His complaint accuses the university of engaging in a cover-up, and suggests that LeCroy’s job wasn't exactly above board. According to a local report:

UGA athletics said on Jan. 24 that the football players and staff members were not engaged in athletic department activities when the crash occurred.

However, the letter from Willock’s family alleges that LeCroy was on call that weekend from Jan. 13 to Jan. 16 “to assist with players, recruits, and coaches”

The attorneys said they have texts and emails about vehicle instructions assigned to her and that she would keep the vehicle until the celebration activities ended.

The letter claims that LeCroy and Bowles agreed to meet players and recruits at the Toppers strip club in downtown Athens before players asked to go to a nearby Waffle House and that LeCroy was driving impaired at the time of the crash on Barrett Shoals Parkway.

“LeCroy consumed alcohol at various UGAAA sites and Celebration locations on January 14, 2023 before the crash-as did other attendees at those Celebration sites. Alcohol supplied by the UGAAA caterers to attendees.”

The letter also alleges the university knew of LeCroy’s history of speeding tickets when she was hired and accused them of negligence by allowing LeCroy to have access to an SUV leased by the school.

The letter ends that LeCroy was doing “as she was directed” the night of the crash.

All of this reminds us of the Baylor University scandal from a decade ago, which ultimately took down Head Coach Art Briles and then-president of the university, Ken Starr. Many sexual assaults of students and student-athletes took place. These occurred in the context of Baylor’s "recruiting hostess" program, which was a euphemism for quasi-prostitution.

As I wrote in “Stop Watching Football”:

One young woman who joined this program in 2012, Elizabeth Doe, claims at least 52 rapes were committed by some 31 Baylor players over the course of four years. A telling quote from these allegations comes from Kendal Briles, an assistant football coach and son of former head coach Art Brile: “Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at Baylor, and they love football players.”

Some of the alleged victims were female athletes in other sports, including a volleyball player who claims she was gang raped.

Baylor first attempted to get the case dismissed. When that failed, it reached a settlement with Elizabeth Doe. Two of the accused players await criminal trials. The head coach, along with his staff, was fired. Chancellor Ken Starr (yes, that Ken Starr) resigned under pressure. Needless to say, the football goes on.

Universities feel they have a “compelling interest” in producing professional-level football programs on campus. This is risible. It produces very bad incentives and has led to very dark outcomes. Banning athletic scholarships would go a long way in reforming higher ed. The NFL should create an actual minor league, much like Major League Baseball has for over a century. Bad behavior would certainly still take place, but at least we could rid ourselves of the absurd concept of the “student athlete.”

Robert Maynard Hutchins was right.