Too little, too late.

By the time they get to college, most athletes are what they are.

The first thing we must do is get rid of athletic scholarships. (Does anyone see the contradiction in terms anymore?) Force the pro leagues to set up their own minor league systems and free colleges from the influence of big-money sports.

The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star: Beamer using fines for fouls

BLACKSBURG--Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is trying a new approach this season to disciplining players--he takes away their money. But he's not the only coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference that fines players who act up on the field or in class.

The Daily Press asked 11 of the ACC's 12 football coaches how they discipline their players. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was the only coach that couldn't be reached.

Beamer is the only coach who fines players for personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He requires players to pay $100 from their bowl stipends for every personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, as well as run 1,500 yards at 6 a.m. on the Wednesday after the game.

Beamer also uses a point system to monitor class, tutor and team function attendance and behavior. Punishments for accumulating points include extra running, loss of complimentary game tickets, loss of playing time (up to being excluded from traveling with the team to a bowl game), earlier curfews and, ultimately, a meeting to discuss the player's future with the team.

"I just thought it was playing time or money," said Beamer, who added all off-field matters are handled on an individual basis and in compliance with the university's Comprehensive Action Plan, a code of conduct. "That's where you hit them the hardest. If you want to get the point across, you go to things that will get the point across."

The fines for penalties haven't been effective. Tech is the most penalized team in the ACC (average of 62 yards per game), and has committed eight personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (two off-setting).

Here's a rundown of how some other ACC football programs deal with penalties, academic-related issues and other disciplinary matters:

Boston College: Tom O'Brien said he runs a system where he plays the roles of "judge, jury and final verdict." He doesn't use a monetary or points-based system.

Clemson: Tommy Bowden said he has taken away bowl money and makes violators do extra running. He said most off-field team discipline is now handled by the administration of the university.

Duke: Ted Roof said he doesn't have a monetary or points-based system. He deals with all on and off-field matters on an individual basis.

Georgia Tech: Chan Gailey said he uses punishments like extra running for missed class, missed study hall, missed team breakfast and missed tutoring. He said he has used monetary fines with college players he coached at other universities, and added that it was a good system.

Maryland: Ralph Friedgen said he takes complimentary tickets away from players after a certain number of violations for things like missed class and study halls. He also uses measures like extra running and suspension from games. He said he used to take away meal money in the past, but doesn't have a fine system in place right now.

Miami: Larry Coker said he doesn't use fines, but likes the idea. He depends on docking playing time from players as his biggest punishment for on field misbehavior.

North Carolina: John Bunting said he has used a points-based system for the last two years. He said extra running and late night study halls with assistant coaches or tutors are also used. Players can also get bonus points for participating in community service ventures.

North Carolina State: Chuck Amato said he uses extra running to punish players for academic and on-field problems. He said the same punishment was used when he was an assistant at FSU under Bobby Bowden. Amato also admitted taking away a bowl-related gift like a watch or ring to punish players.

Virginia: Al Groh has his own personal system he uses to discipline players on an individual basis. He said he had never heard of using money, but said he would look into it.

Wake Forest: Jim Grobe said he follows the university's code of conduct for off-field problems. He doesn't have a monetary or points-based system for academic or on-field infractions, but said he tries "to match the punishment to the crime."