Storyline: Athletics contribute to the development of collegiate student-athletes. But the structure of revenue-based college sports is deeply flawed and increasingly disconnected from the collegiate mission. Written by Patricia L. Farrell-Cole, Grand Rapids, MI
Over the course of 2015 NCAA Division I Football Playoffs I came to this conclusion: I have a love-hate relationship with college athletics, primarily Division 1 football and basketball. I’m a firm believer in the attributes athletes gain from sports, such as perseverance, teamwork, sportsmanship, commitment, and leadership. And I also believe in the student-athlete and the opportunities they have in college. But three issues are causing my disgust of college athletics.
Racism and College Athletes: Black Lives Matter
Courtesy: know.freelibrary.org
Two incidents caught my attention as I watched a college football game in early December, the first of which caused shivers to run down my spine. The camera scanned the crowd and, then, it stopped at an middle-aged White man cheering on a respectable first-down run by a young Black man. The only word swirling in my head was “Hypocrite!” How would that White man have treated the same young Black man if he saw him in the parking lot or grocery store–not knowing he was the starting running back for his favorite team?
The second occurrence involved a star Black player from the other team. At the end of a play the broadcast announcer stated that the player, who had incurred four (that’s four) team infractions, was still participating on the team. But here’s my concern: if this young Black man was not a star athlete, how would our society treat him, especially if these infractions had occurred in our streets?
Coaches’ Salaries and Booster Influence
How much money is spent to pay the coaching staff? As we all know a large percentage of coaches are paid more than the presidents of universities. Head coaches often have more influence (and name recognition) in the community than presidents. In 2015, 71 of the coaches were paid more than $1 million each by their university before bonuses (source: USA Today). And if the coaches do not succeed – usually based on boosters’ influence – they are bought out by universities and their boosters for exorbitant amounts of money. Is this appropriate for a university based on its mission?
Courtesy: blog.richmond.edu
Big Corporation Influence
The expenses for coaching staff salaries, travel, and top-of-the-line workout facilities and stadiums are outrageous. So it’s no wonder that companies and wealthy individuals are solicited to financially support the teams. The donations have helped offset some of the expenses, but I do not agree with this for two reasons. If a company or individual gives money to athletics I argue that they should be required to give the same amount for non-athlete student scholarships. Student loan averages hit $30,000 in 2014. And, second, the donations have not kept ticket prices down. Universities have taken the fan out of the game. Unless you receive tickets from your company or a donor, how can the average citizen take their child to see a game? Universities should be the places where children can participate and dream about their future. Again, is this appropriate for universities based on its missions?
Courtesy: goacta.org
About five years ago I told my husband that there will only be one mega-conference in the future of the “haves.” Every other university will be in the “have not” conference. The stratification has already occurred. The one, high-stakes conference is getting closer and closer to reality. I compare college athletics to the high-stake rooms in casinos, where only the rich can participate.
But what bothers me most is the treatment of Black student-athletes. Individuals matter whether they are athletes – good or bad – or young men on the street. College athletics has not helped end racism, except on Saturday afternoons, when a young Black man scores a touchdown for a White booster.
