This coming weekend ESPN will be investigating the dismissal of two University of Nebraska wrestlers after it was discovered that they had appeared in solo scenes for a gay porn website. I am really excited to see them covering this and having seen “Outside the Lines” episodes in the past, am counting on them to take a serious and unbiased look at the case.

Both men were most likely in violation of NCAA rules when they accepted money for the shoot, but I’m interested to see what the University and ESPN has to say about it. If they’d shot for a hetero site, would the outcome have been different?

As a former NCAA athlete (some of us go pro in pornography) I understand the importance of representing your university in a positive light and agree that these men would probably have been better off not shooting porn. Whether they like it or not, when they accepted their scholarships they signed up to be role models to kids and highly visible representatives of the school. While a scholarship is not a pay check, it’s pretty freaking sweet to graduate without $100,000 in debt like the rest of the kids who can’t run as fast as you.

There’s a lot of discussion, especially regarding basketball players, about whether college athletes should be compensated in some manner considering the millions of dollars that flow into their respected universities thanks to their very desirable skills. Were these boys so hard up for cash that they had no other choice? I’m guessing it was just an easy way to make a quick buck.

While I think they made a poor choice, I’m really interested to see how much the fact that they shot for a gay site influenced the outcome. Hopefully, ESPN will touch on all of these issues in a tasteful manner. I will definitely be watching.

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