Thumbs up: Athletes need more than a helmet

Life as a scholarship athlete isn’t always a field of dreams. That’s especially true for those who end their sports careers on crutches. In the majority of cases, athletes who suffer career-ending injuries lose their scholarships, leaving them on the hook for the cost of their education as well as any uninsured medical costs.

Four years ago, the state Legislature sought to deal with this problem by requiring universities to continue providing financial support to athletes who get hurt. It was a good start. But it applied only to the four California universities that compete in the Pac-12 conference, including UC Berkeley and Stanford.

But last week, a committee of the UC regents gave unanimous support to a policy that would nearly triple the number of student-athletes who are guaranteed financial assistance in the event of a catastrophic injury that occurs during practice or a game. The policy approved would extend scholarship guarantees to athletes at campuses including UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego.

It’s another needed step. But it still doesn’t rectify the problem of campus athletes, who help bring in millions in revenue from ticket sales, broadcast rights and merchandising, shouldering all of the risks for few of the rewards. Athletes deserve more protection than just helmets and shin guards.