I think we need to get back to this being the primary goal for all students on campus. I am not blaming the student athletes at all...they are just playing the hand they have been dealt. Having students on campus who are not primarily in class to learn for self development or prepare for a career is a hindrance to everyone else including the professors and other students. Again, I am not pointing the blame at any student athlete, they did not design the current system.
When I say hindrance, I will give you another example. I have a friend that sought a graduate degree from an regionally accredited private for profit college. She chose the path because of her professional and personal obligations did not allow for a traditional route. She went to undergrad at a Patriot League school, so she was well educated. She would rave about the professors at the graduate school, and how they would intertwine real world work with teaching, etc. etc., but she pointed out a massive issue to me that I had not considered. The classes were heavy with adults that were there simply because their employer was paying for it, and they were not invested in learning or becoming prepared for advancement in their careers. They were not doing anything extreme to disrupt class, but the very fact that they were not there for the right reasons combines with the fact that a for profit school will try to ensure nobody drops out, everyone was somewhat held back to ensure they kept up. My ex-wife went to UK during the Pitino, Walker, Mercer, McCarty, etc. era.....and she has similar stories in classes she shared with them. The very fact that they were somewhat "celebrities" on campus and the fact that they were not really invested in the education....they often became a distraction in class even though they did little in class outside of set in the back of the room and fall asleep.
The fact is they probably should have either been in some form of minor league system or the NBA itself instead of being forced to be a student @ UK.