Collegiate athletes have the task of balancing schoolwork and their sports while at TCU.

Most college students study 25-35 hours a week, but collegiate athletes have to balance those academic hours with the 40 hours a week dedicated to their sport.

The average college student has the freedom of taking classes at whatever time they want, but collegiate athletes have to finish classes at a certain time.

“Everyone on the football team has to be done before 2 p.m. with class for practices,” said Ben Rinke, a former TCU football player.

Collegiate athletes have schedules that are dictated by their sport.

“It is pretty much a packed schedule starting at 9 a.m. up until 6 p.m. or even later,” Rinke said.

Once Rinke stopped playing football at TCU, he said that he had more free time in his schedule to devote to studying or other activities.

Some athletes have to do workouts outside of practice in order to stay in shape for their sports.

The TCU cheerleading team has skill checks every Tuesday before games to make sure the squad is ready.

“I have to obviously be able to lift the girls,” said Joe Raftefold, a junior on the TCU cheerleading team.

Raftefold has to plan his own workouts in the free time that he has in between practice and class. He has to work on his lifts and tumbling on his own in order to pass the skill checks.

“Everyone told me before I came [to TCU] that playing football in college is a full time job,” Rinke said. “It is honestly more true than I thought it was.”