I???ve been doing a lot of thinking about professional sports lately. I don???t know if it???s the start of the Major League Baseball season, or the fact that the WNBA just held its annual draft, but I???ve definitely drifted outside the world of amateur athletics in the past couple of weeks.

Generally, I???ve been thinking about professional athletics and how the various leagues treat intercollegiate athletics and the value of an education.

A few weeks back, Chris Dilks, of the Western College Hockey blog, suggested in an e-mail that the collective bargaining agreements signed by the NBA and NHL greatly reduce the chance of student-athletes receiving their degree.

The NBA increased its minimum age requirement to 19 and in the NHL, the deadline to sign a college draft pick was moved up. Neither rule encourages kids to stay in school.

High school student-athletes are now encouraged to go to college for at least one year before they declare for the NBA Draft. Some would argue that this makes intercollegiate athletics seem more like a minor league than an integral part of higher education, and it???s certainly hard to refute that.

On the other hand, I???d rather kids get one year of a college education instead of none. With the NCAA???s new APR data, teams will be held accountable for student-athletes who leave school early for professional leagues and aren???t in good academic standing. Coaches must recruit players who will go to class and do the work. Otherwise, they will lose scholarships.

I don???t actually agree with the NBA age restriction, although I wish more kids went to college, and stayed for their full four years. I think the restriction is somewhat ridiculous ??? if a high school graduate wants to work at the age of 18 instead of going to college, he should be allowed to make a living. That living can be made in the NBA and high school graduates should be allowed to go to work.

For the most part, professional teams don???t think about the importance of their players receiving a college education. They want them to play well and help the team win. It???s a business, and it???s about making money. That???s what makes the professional model of sports so different from the collegiate model.

The WNBA doesn???t allow underclassmen to be drafted, and I applaud the league for that rule. The league has deemed a college education important for its players. It???s an interesting model, although I???m not sure it would work for other professional leagues.

The NCAA isn???t a breeding ground for professional leagues ??? the percentage of student-athletes who move on to the professional ranks is minute. Some student-athletes do come to college just to prepare for professional athletics, and that???s okay with me. Students leave school for various reasons all the time. Hopefully, they learn important things in the classroom while they???re there.