I saw a news report where an NFL or NBA player admitted they never cracked a book in college.
I am going to think it was Division 1. No, Division 1 s athletes don’t attend classes with the other students. They can’t. They would never be left alone. However, they take the classes online and do have tutors available. However, they must remain eligible grade wise to stay eligible. I cannot speak for the power houses of football and what goes on... but I can say 1A, Division 2 and 3 are much different. However, Division 1 schools are the players that you will see in the NFL and NBA.
If schools went by strict academic utility, half their departments and majors would be instantly wiped away. Thousands of faculty would have to go out and try to find real jobs. Why, it would be a nightmare, I tell ya.