College is easier for an athlete – or is it?

It’s easy to think that in this day and age, athletes have it easier — exponentially easier — than your average student. In fact, on the surface, it’s almost hard not to think that.

When the public only hears about agent-organized parties, discounted 2011 Pontiacs and leased beach houses along the Southern California waterfront, it’s a no-brainer to conclude athletes are living the life of a superstar.

It seems as valid as Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy back in 2005, right? Think again.

There are 17 spots allowed on a Division I men’s basketball roster and 105 for football. Thirteen scholarships are available for basketball opposed to the 85 offered for the gridiron. That means about 20 percent of each roster in these two revenue-generating sports are made up of players doing it for love of the game and nothing else.

Yet, these walk-ons and preferred walk-ons are required to still follow the same strict, up-at-dawn routines so common during a sport’s competitive season.

The study time is minimal. The social time is minimal. And the summer is almost nonexistent.

It doesn’t have anything to do with pay-for-play. We’re talking about the lifestyle of the average college athlete — the overwhelming majority of which will never suit up in a professional uniform.

If it weren’t for tutors and academic advisers, graduating with a degree in four or five years would be almost impossible. Of course there are the pessimists who want to think all athletes are majoring in Kilroy’s staff management in the School of Partying and Easy A’s.

Don’t say that to a guy like Ben Chappell — currently in camp with the Washington Redskins — who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting during his five years in Bloomington.

Let’s put academics aside for a hot second and look at that infinitely small portion of larger-than-life superstars in the collegiate ranks. If you think the average college athlete’s lifestyle of little sleep and little down time is tough, think about how monster media outlets like ESPN become the worldwide leader in sports.

Exploitation leads to ratings, which in turn leads to prominence.

Each day, primarily in college football and basketball, the top-tier athletes are hounded, criticized and approached by the media to an almost depressing frequency. You even saw the most straight-laced of them all, Tim Tebow, fire back at ESPN NFL analyst Merrill Hoge for ripping the former quarterback to shreds. Not to say it’s that bad around college sports consistently, but it’s not uncommon.

The fact of the matter is that college athletes have perks normal students don’t.

Then again, there are upsides to being a normal student. Chances are, before you head out to your local campus brew house during Welcome Week, there will not be many athletes in sight.

It’s a different game with different rules.