These are petty issues, IMHO compared to the gaming that happens in all college admisions. I think that it is no big deal. Not criminal. Civil.
We differ here.
Fraud, bribery, and kickbacks are are crimes!
Just WHAT do you mean by "gaming"? Please give explicit example!
If giving AA to the children of wealthy parents, is "gaming", consider just WHO set up and wrote the rules; it wasn't the parents!
Legacies and "feeder schools", especially the later, go back to colonial days, when almost NOBODY was going to college!
Once upon a time, college football ( as well as other team sports ) were ONLY the interest of those people who were playing/going to the college/alums. Once it became a betting thing, it took off and more and more people became interested in it and so that is really a business! Again, nothing to do with certain students being excluded from admission, nor committing crimes to get their kids in.
Since you incorrectly believe that fraud, bribery, etc. are "petty crimes", then I guess what Bernie Madoff and Ponzi did was no big deal and NOT criminal at all. RIGHT?
What about voter fraud...no crime at all...right?
Oh and ILLEGAL ALIENS invading this nation, using citizens' SS numbers to get jobs, go on welfare of all kinds, and even voting...oh well...no biggie either; right?