While not quite the same thing, most schools will allow football players to finish their degrees after their football eligibility has expired. Given the amount

While not quite the same thing, most schools will allow football players to finish their degrees after their football eligibility has expired. Given the amount of money live sports generates due to being one of the few places advertisers can be guaranteed an audience, schools that used to be stingy with limiting scholarship money to what was required by the NCAA, can now be very generous. But yes, this isn't quite the same as letting players focus on football first and then work through their degrees once their playing career is over.