Pac-12 survey finds athletes ‘too exhausted to study’

A Pac-12 study has found that student-athletes spend on average 50 hours per week with their sport, making them “too exhausted to study effectively.”

Findings from the study were discussed at a symposium last week that was not open to the public or media, according to CBSSports. The entire survey has not been released, though some of its conclusions have.

CBSSports reports that the survey was given to 409 conference athletes. While many indicated they were satisfied with their experiences, some said they were “stressed” with the time demands of their sport, resulting in loss of sleep. The study called physical exhaustion a “major issue.”

NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from spending more than 20 hours per week on their sport, but most athletes say they commit much more time to it.

A few other findings from the survey, as reported by CBSSports:

• 80 percent of Pac-12 athletes say they missed a class for a game in 2014-15.

• More than half (54 percent) say they don’t have enough time to study for tests.

• Almost three-quarters (73 percent) said they felt a voluntary activity was considered mandatory. Some reported coaches threatening to “kick athletes off the team for missing voluntary activities.”

• Two-thirds say sports demands impacted their social lives. “Pac-12 athletes express a desire to make new friends outside of their sports teams.”

The study included nine of 12 Pac-12 schools, with Utah, USC and Arizona not participating.