In the latest edition of the Sports Innovation Journal, the editing staff called out for a special issue focused on the current state and future of governance in intercollegiate athletics. With Name, Image, Likeness coming to the forefront, the college athletics landscape has changed, and we called for researchers to provide us their studies focused on College Athletics Governance.
Below is the abstract and link to each research article published by these fantastic authors:
“He’s an Asshole”: Power 5 College Football Athletes Navigating a “Shady” Coaching Transition
Alison Fridley, University of Southern Mississippi
Daniel Springer, University of Missouri
Amanda L. Paule-Koba, Bowling Green State University
Stacey A. Forsythe, Western Kentucky University
Sarah Stokowski, Clemson University
Head coaches play a crucial role in shaping both athletes’ athletic experiences and the complex team system. Consequently, coaching transitions have a tremendous effect on college athletes. Through the lens of transition theory, the purpose of this case study was to investigate the effect of multiple head coaching changes on NCAA Division I Power Five football athletes. Eight football athletes completed a 27-item open-ended questionnaire. Data analysis revealed three explicit, meaningful themes: support, achievement, and consistency. This study strives to assist athletic administrators and coaches in becoming increasingly aware of the potential impact that these abrupt coaching transitions can have on the athlete experience. Additionally, through the voices of the participants, this study attempts to assist college athletes in navigating a coaching transition.
Keywords: athletic leadership, athlete experience, transition theory, football, coaching transition, NCAA
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/25995
Constructing Your Career Plays
Evan W. Faidley, University of California, Berkeley
The evolving landscape of job opportunities has led to increased concerns around life-career success of college student-athletes while and after they balance their academic and sport performance. At Kent State University (Division I) located in Kent, Ohio, Tracy Montgomery serves as the student-athlete career advisor liaison between Career Exploration & Development and the Department of Athletics. With more than 10 years of secondary education teaching experience and seven years of career advising/education, Tracy has identified and continues to apply Mark Savickas’s (2012, 2013) Career Construction Interview (CCI) as her most valuable tool in creating conversations around career development. In a sit-down interview with Tracy, she breaks down the life design technique (Savickas, 2015) so career practitioners and other intercollegiate athletic personnel may adopt the approach to support student-athletes to (a) identify what their intentions are toward life-career transitions; (b) realize why they perform their actions and closely hold their beliefs toward making life-career decisions ; and (c) move forward with how they can empower themselves to move in and out of “going pro.”
Keywords: career advising, career construction interview, life design, student-athletes, higher education
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/26055
Rethinking Disability Inclusion in Intercollegiate Athletics
Sarah Stokowski, Clemson University
Stephanie O’Donnell, The Ohio State University
As higher education continues to strive to be inclusive and accepting of all identities, the NCAA must reconsider some of its practices and policies surrounding disability. The NCAA has started to recognize the importance of varying abilities within specific policies and procedures but there is still improvement that must be made to achieve an equitable experience for all athletes. By incorporating universal design into the implementation of the NCAA’s missions and priorities of academics, fairness, and well-being, the NCAA must re-examine which athletes are being excluded by its practices. Within academic regulations, the NCAA must reconsider initial eligibility, minimum credit hour requirements, and progress towards degree. The NCAA seeks to create an atmosphere of fairness; however, the inclusion of varying ability levels is excluded throughout various statements, hiring practices, and how specific sports are played. The NCAA has made well-being a top priority but this cannot be achieved without representation and focus on disability identity. This implies that more funding and resources should be implemented to support the understanding of disability identity development and formation. It is time for the NCAA to rethink how disability can be included thoroughly throughout all aspects of collegiate sports.
Keywords: NCAA, Inclusion, Policy, Disability, Sport, Universal Design
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/26004
Amateurism as a Narrative of Control
Tracie Canada, University of Notre Dame
Kaitlin Pericak, North Carolina Wesleyan College
Miray D. Seward, University of Virginia
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) uses amateurism as a narrative to control college athletes, which affects how scholars conduct research with these athletes. This article speaks to issues that arise among qualitative researchers at different institutions when universities control access to athletes under the guise of the ‘amateurism’ narrative. Drawing on Bourdieu, we provide insight into the habitus of athletics departments through vignettes from each of the authors to highlight issues of access to the collegiate athlete population. We simultaneously speak against amateurism as a controlling narrative and argue that there is a need for more immersive research among college athletes to better understand athlete lived experiences within these institutions. From our different disciplinary perspectives, we offer three solutions to this issue that involve the integration of qualitative researchers and practitioners to inform programming that directly impacts the athletes on college campuses across the country.
Keywords: qualitative research, amateurism, habitus, total institution, collaboration
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/26003
Who Is NIL Leaving Out?
Beth D. Solomon, Auburn University
Karina G. Jolly, Troy University
Sarah Stokowski, Clemson University
Sam C. Ehrlich, Boise State University
Skye G. Arthur-Banning, Clemson University
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation in July 2021. The expectation was for all NCAA student-athletes to have the opportunity to seek compensation for their NIL, but the reality is quite different. International student-athletes are not easily able to benefit from their NIL due to restrictions placed on off-campus work under the terms of their entrance visas to the United States. This paper explores the need for the NCAA, NCAA member institutions, and government agencies to re-evaluate policies in an effort to ensure all student-athletes have the right to profit off their NIL. It is crucial that the membership is aware of how international student-athletes are confined by student visa regulations. In order to create a fair and equitable experience for all student-athletes, the NCAA and athletic departments need to understand off-campus work regulations and exceptions for international student visas (F-1 visa). Additionally, there is a need to advocate for this specific sub-population of student-athletes. We explore the idea of creating the opportunity for NIL to be on considered on-campus work for international student-athletes, or perhaps even assisting this population in filing exceptions within the constructs of the law. With domestic student-athletes already benefiting from NIL, it is time to find ways to allow international student-athletes to do the same. In essence, such opportunities would create one less barrier for international student-athletes who already face difficulty adjusting to life in the US.
Keywords: NIL, international student-athletes, F-1 visa, college athletics
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/26058
U.S. Citizenship Supremacy: How Immigration Laws and NCAA Policies Exclude International College Athletes From Monetizing Their Name, Image, and Likeness
Simran Kaur Sethi, University of Oklahoma
Katie Lever, University of Texas
Kirsten Hextrum, University of Oklahoma
On July 1, 2021, most NCAA student-athletes could finally monetize their names, images, and likenesses (NIL). Although the change was both welcome and historic, international college athletes (ICAs) could not. This commentary situates NIL within the broader context of U.S. nationalism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and college sports. We find that U.S. immigration laws combined with NCAA amateur policies prevent ICAs from monetizing their NIL. We conclude with reform suggestions at the legal, policy, and practice levels that will benefit all international students and immigrant workers.
Keywords: Name, Image, and Likeness, International College Athletes, Nationalism, NCAA
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/25990
The International Student-Athlete Experience: A Research Study into the Transition Process of ISAs, From their Home Country Into Life as an NCAA Student-Athlete
Ioanna Charitonidi, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley
Anastasios Kaburakis, Saint Louis University
This article discusses a research study undertaken in order to better understand what the NCAA, institutions, administrators, and coaches can do in order to enhance the experiences of international student-athletes (ISAs). Quantitative and qualitative primary survey data was gathered from a sample of ISAs representing several countries and a wide range of sports. One of the key findings was that when provided with a platform from which to express their opinions, the respondents highlighted concerning issues such as discrimination, negligence, and a lack of support and/or guidance. Significant findings were also reached regarding steps to be taken in order to improve the transition process, and the specific challenges that are not currently being met by the NCAA, institutions, staff, or coaches. It is recommended that the NCAA carefully considers the results found in this study and undertakes further investigation to help stakeholders in the college sport experience better meet the needs of their ISAs.
Keywords: International Student Athletes, NCAA
Journal Link: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/sij/article/view/26060
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