Under a policy introduced in January, student-athletes face fines and even game suspensions for skipping out on their academic responsibilities. The idea was hatched as a way to boost UGA's student-athlete graduation rates, which rank near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in several sports. "We believe that if athletes are going to class and study hall more often, they'll earn passing grades and more of them will graduate," says Ted White, Director of Academic Services. "It's that simple."

Under the new rules, each missed tutoring session (after one freebie) results in a $10 fine, which the athlete can pay in cash or have deducted from a future scholarship payment. Skipping class carries an even more severe penalty--once athletes rack up three unexcused absences in the same course, they are suspended for 10 percent of their team's games, and each additional absence costs them another 10 percent.

So far, the program has been a great success. The number of missed tutoring sessions dropped from 421 during the first three weeks of the fall semester to just 46 during the same period this spring, and missed classes fell by about 80 percent. "The results are even better than we anticipated," White says. "Athletes are taking their studies more seriously, and that's good for everyone."