Even as the chaotic state of college sports makes headlines, with a bill passing the US Senate that would bring sweeping policy changes, the well-being of the athletes who fuel the multi-billion-dollar industry seems to be treated as secondary.

That might have more dire consequences than ever, a startling new survey suggests.

In a study coming out of Rutgers University and led by Dr. Allison Bond, herself a former student-athlete, nearly 40 percent of the NCAA student-athletes surveyed across Division I, II, and III reported that they have experienced suicidal thoughts at some point. What’s more, only 36 percent said they had received any sort of mental-health-related training that included aspects of suicide prevention.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death generally across the age group of college students (18-22). Among college athletes, however, it rises up to the second. While student-athletes may potentially........

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