While college football players have incredible talent, and are admired all over the country for their skills, they are just people. People with an unquestionable athletic gift, yes, but still people like you and I. Yet when they are allegedly involved in crimes like sexual assault cases, they are treated differently. Why are football players held to a different standard, and sometimes treated like Gods? The double standard is apparent.

If John Doe was rumored to have sexually assaulted someone, he would be punished. When a well-known football player is rumored to do the same thing, it is sometimes shoved under the rug. He may not be kicked off the team, out of school, or possibly even incarcerated for it. He might just be transferred to another team, which covers up the issue at hand. Why are athletes sometimes held to a different standard?

Sam Ukwuachu, a football player for the Baylor Bears, was charged with sexually assaulting a fellow student. Before coming to Baylor, while still on the Boise State football team, he was dismissed for “allegedly” attacking his girlfriend. Ukwuachu referred to the allegations saying, “It wasn't a big issue.” This wasn't a red flag? Instead of having to deal with the issue of assault, Boise State ships him off to Baylor: another school, another set of girls, making him someone else’s problem.

Ukwuachu was facing anywhere from two to 20 years in prison, yet he only got 180 days. A little slap on the wrist compared to how the rest of the sexual offenders in our country are treated.

For those of you who are not familiar with the criminal justice system, jail is for misdemeanors. Prison is for more serious crimes such as homicide, rape, assault and robbery. The system treats crimes like sexual assault as one of the most serious offenses, and punishes accordingly. Why did Ukwuachu get off so easily? Why do college athletes sometimes get off the hook?

Someone with a violent past got off the hook after 180 days of jail, not prison. He will be around people who commit misdemeanors such as theft, shoplifting, and vandalism. He should be incarcerated with people who commit felonies on the level he did.

Rape culture has become all too common on college campuses. How the cases are dealt with, especially with cases involving football players, not only hurts the criminal justice system, but the victims as well. What does it say to the victims if their victimization is not viewed as seriously as someone else's because their attacker was an athlete?

People on college campuses regardless of their athletic ability, need to be prosecuted in the same way for similar crimes. Not only does this keep the integrity of the criminal justice system intact, it allows for students and victims to have a peace of mind knowing there is not a double standard.