The National Collegiate Athletic Association is getting serious about the graduation rates of Division I athletes. They want student athletes to able to achieve their educational goals.

After the four-year average of its Academic Progress Rate (APR) is calculated in May, schools with unsatisfactory graduation rates could be penalized, including lost scholarships. In the future, those with consistently low graduation rates among athletes could be banned from post-season games.

The NCAA insists that it will be enforcing the new rules. They expect 45 percent of basketball teams, 40 percent of football teams, and 35 percent of all teams to be penalized under APR.

On average, Division I schools graduate about 77 percent of all athletes, according to the NCAA. The Associated Press Top 25 recently showed that some do far better than others. North Carolina graduated 86 percent of its basketball players while most others graduated just 40 percent.

Dr. Nathan Tiblitz, co-chairman of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, says sports-mad Americans play a part in the problem. They don't care how college athletes are admitted, whether they graduate, or whether they go on to the NBA. They want winning teams whatever the cost.

Schools aren't doing kids a favor by admitting them when it's unlikely that they will succeed academically, says Tiblitz. The kids could be seeking good jobs and training outside of college.

Instead, 17-year-olds are wined, dined and treated like royalty. They are mesmerized by fancy hotels, fancy locker rooms and college facilities. But when they are later cut from the team, break a leg or finish their eligibility, they need an education. Otherwise, they may have nowhere to go and no way to make a living.