Seriously...why not a football major? It is a multi-billion industry. The average NFL team is worth $3.2 billion. Why not train up athletes to provide non-playing services to the industry. Why not allow athletes to take classes on real football subjects such as sports marketing management, broadcasting, sports law, exercise physiology, psychology, game theory, etc. Think of finance classes...how do you value Tom Brady, what are the Atlanta Falcons worth? There is a TON of classroom content, so why not create a major around it. If the school is willing to sponsor a degree in performing arts, then why not sponsor a degree in football, basketball, soccer, etc. I spend more money to watch athletes perform then I musical or dance artists performing. That would be a huge competitive advantage. BYU would place students throughout the entire sports eco-system - player agents, coaches (they already to this but why not allow students to get credit for this on-the-job learning), athletic directors, broadcasters, marketers, and more.

@Trent, that is a brilliant idea.

The concept that this is a bad idea because nobody has done it is an ignorant argument. That means that every good idea in the world has already occurred. That's a sad way to live. If that's what you believe then what purpose do you have in life if you can't improve on anything?

There are smart ways to test this major to see if it would work.

I would love for BYU to be more innovative and to try new things rather than pursue a me-too strategy. This is definitely one way to do that.