Abstract

Since the June 2021 unanimous Supreme Court ruling in National College Athletic Association v. Alston where the judges sided with college athletes over the NCAA, collegiate athletics has since transformed with athletes now having the ability to be compensated and also transfer like never before. This paper begins by describing the old system in detail where despite receiving athletic scholarships to attend universities, none of the billions of dollars generated or any other forms of financial compensation could be given to the athletes. But in the new era of NIL, transfer portals, unregistered sports agents, and more, has the pendulum now swung too far in the other direction. Should guardrails be established to help regulate the system now dominated by capitalist interests? What about college athletes in sports that do not generate money and sports that cost athletic departments and universities more than they bring in? Is there room for them in a system that appears to be prioritizing mega conferences and money-generating sports like football and basketball? Does the NCAA even still serve a purpose? Through the lens of sociology, this paper attempts to explain the modern world of collegiate athletics, identify how old problems have been solved but new problems created, and offer solutions to how to make sure the system remains fair and open to all individuals and institutions.

Presenters

Jeremy Levine
Graduate Student and Teacher Assistant, Sociology, Stony Brook University, New York, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Sports Management and Commercialization

KEYWORDS

Collegiate Athletics, Labor, NCAA, NIL, Transfer Portal

Digital Media

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