It's unfortunate that UM tries to bring up its academic programs at the detriment of Athletics. UM has become far more than Suntan U through the latter part of the last century and through this millennium, and now is the flagship research institution of Higher Learning in the State of Florida.
Nonetheless, it's still ridiculous for the powers that be at UM wanting and desirous that Athletics NOT supplant its academic mission. Personally, I think the lame ****s on the BOT have an inferiority complex, maybe some freaking misplaced southerner's complex, wanting to be all elite in academia and needing that Football along with the Athletics Department conforms and or shall always be under under any and all of the strictest and most elitist considerations of the Academia. "The academic ideal shall not be supplanted by catering to a bunch of brats & jocks" opine these inferiority-laced southerners and their other Yankee implant comrades on that Board of Trustees. It's not necessary, and academia at UM could stand on its own without ever being dragged by a few incoming ball players.
What makes this counterproductive sentiment of UM's wannabe-to-be-elites at all costs in its misguided mission (for Football jocks) is the other reality that other colleges and universities which are much higher ranked than UM in that top 47 OVERTLY junk (lower) their entrance requirements to allow the best Athletes in at these more elite institutions. These higher ranked institutions included UNC, Georgia Tech, along with other similarly ranked institutions, i.e., University of Georgia allow in 75 % of their top Football players that fall below the NCAA requirements. Simply reasoned out by these more elite institutions is the fact that an incoming 15-19 Football players CANNOT dip down their over all class of 5,000 to 15,000+ population of college Freshmen. The number of Football players to overall student population represents like an atom out there to a sky cloud. Also, lower ranked institutions but much higher (these days) ranked in Football powerhouse mode than UM, i.e., LSU, Bama, make the same allowance of 75 % student/athlete admission unlike, yes, unlike the []_[] .
As for belittling UM academic standing, please note the following: There are over 17,000 (Seventeen Thousands+) other institutions of Higher Learning that grant Baccalaureate degrees or higher in the U.S. HTF is UM being ranked 38th to 48th amongst 17,000 be "not a top school academically" or "Miami is a [just] decent school"? GTFOH with that !