There are unique aspects of the student-athlete collegiate experience that create substantial challenges for student-athletes' academic success. Athletic culture, extreme time demands on student-athletes, and the often uneasy marriage between athletics and academics in the university setting all contribute to the difficulties that many student-athletes face in "making it" academically. Many student athletes are trying to make it academically in the field of Communication Studies. While the number of student-athletes in Communication varies from institution to institution, many student-athletes gravitate towards Communication and related majors. (The reasons are numerous: the public performance bent of many student-athletes, the intersection of Communication with many potential post-athletic careers, such as broadcasting, journalism, public relations, and others.) Understanding the student-athlete population will allow Communication faculty to more effectively reach a significant group of Communication majors, as well as develop approaches to promoting student success outside of the traditional teaching box. In this article, the author provides an overview of the major challenges to student-athlete academic success and offers concrete advice on helping student-athletes succeed. (Contains 2 notes.)