At the University of Maryland, a school known for its strong academic reputation but mixed results on the field this decade, a growing tension is emerging between the classroom and the playing field.

The role of academics in college sports is shrinking, according to players and professors who spoke with The Baltimore Sun. Student-athletes are increasingly steered toward majors perceived as easier, and their focus in class is fading as financial incentives pull their attention elsewhere.

"In this day and age, people can get away with not being too great at school and being a good athlete," said Brayden Martin, a junior on the Terps baseball team and nephew of Maryland basketball legend Walt Williams.

But Maryland administrators push back against the idea that athletes are de-emphasizing academics. Athletic director Jim Smith and Brady Rourke, director of the Gossett Center for Academic Success, insist that classes remain just as critical to athletes' lives as ever.

Rourke's office is a physical embodiment of that commitment. Gossett Hall, once the football team's locker room before being repurposed in 2022, features no game-day artwork or championship trophies. Instead, the walls display successful alumni, graduation statistics, and other academic achievements. The space connects computer labs and dining areas, creating a haven from athletic pressures.

"We don't know what they make. When they're in here, their identity is student," Rourke told The Sun. "College athletics has changed, obviously, but what we do hasn't changed."

To be sure, academics haven't disappeared entirely—athletes must remain eligible. Maryland's rules mirror the NCAA's, last updated in 2003. Undergraduate athletes must enroll in at least 12 credits and complete six each semester, with GPA requirements starting at 1.8 for freshmen and rising to 2.0 for seniors.

Yet Rourke hears stories from counterparts at other Division I schools about athletic departments cutting academic funding, raising questions about where priorities truly lie in today's college sports landscape. For athletes and fans alike, the message is clear: as the business of sports grows, the balance between education and athletics is becoming harder to maintain.