Which data point confirms your observation that this varies widely by school and there are hard programs out there.
See: https://www.chronicle.com/article/We-Asked-20-Elite-College/...
> Q. Will your university exert more oversight over how students are designated as athletic recruits in the admissions process? If so, how?
> A. Caltech does not reserve admission spots for our athletic department nor do we take into account legacy status or family wealth. The main criteria in our evaluation process focuses on academic and personal performance/potential as well as demonstrated STEM passion and achievement.
> Q. Does "Operation Varsity Blues" show a broader need for reform in selective admissions?
> A. This case is an important reminder how hypervigilant selective admission offices need to be in evaluating candidates and their credentials.
Caltech's CDS says otherwise - http://finance.caltech.edu/documents/537-cds2019.pdf section C7
(of course, for those following along, this very interesting point is unrelated to the college admissions scandal)