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Over the years, there has always been speculation as to whether college athletes receive special treatment in their academics, and it looks like the rumors are true at the University of North Carolina.

Former UNC star Rashad McCants discussed his academics with ESPN Magazine, revealing that the school would rig his grades for him to pass, and he would even receive high grades despite not attending classes.

McCants also revealed that he would have been ineligible to join the team for the 2005 National Championship if he hadn’t taken “bogus classes” and had improper assistance from tutors.

He told the magazine:

“For some of the premiere players, we didn’t write papers. When it was time to turn in our papers for our paper classes, we would get a call from our tutors, we would all pack up in one big car or two or three cars, carpool over to the tutor’s house, and basically get our papers and go about our business.”

As far as the basketball team’s staff, including the coach, McCants thinks that they were somewhat aware of what was going on:

“I think [Head Coach Roy Williams] knew, 100 percent,” said McCants. “Because it’s hard for anybody not to know, about the fact that we’re taking African American studies courses and we don’t have to go to class. I think that’s very obvious.”

Think Progress reported on the speculation:

UNC officials told ESPN that the school is continuing its investigation into widespread allegations of academic fraud, and in many ways the NCAA’s hands are tied in this case until UNC acts first. But McCants’ revelations will again reignite the debate over the concept of “student athletes,” a term favored by the NCAA to argue against the idea of paying top-tier college athletes — and it comes at a bad time for the NCAA, just days before the organization will head to trial in a lawsuit from former athletes alleging federal antitrust violations over compensation tied to broadcast revenues. In a brief filed in court Thursday, USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz reported, the NCAA indicated that it plans to demonstrate “hard evidence — data –that football and men’s basketball (student-athletes), do, in fact get an education, including statistical analyses showing that these (student-athletes) graduate and achieve success at equal or higher rates than other young people with similar backgrounds.”

Does this happen at more schools? We’re betting yes. Let us know your experiences in the comment section below.

SOURCE: ESPN Magazine | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty