The Equity Issue Behind College Sports

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College sports games could arguably be classified as one of the most important events for colleges. It is a time of assembly and community, where students new and old congregate in their school colors and pride. College sports events define the college experience, and not only do they unify students, but they also rake in money for universities. According to PBS, college Division I, athletes generated approximately 15.8 billion dollars for their respective universities as of 2019. 

This money load found in the world of college sports might be the reason why colleges are so eager to recruit athletes, and why they get so many special benefits. In Division I schools, athletes enjoy numerous benefits including free tuition, student-athlete exclusive academic and support services, paid medical care, and more opportunities that regular students do not get to enjoy. Schools are so excited to get their hands on these athletes, they even skew admissions in their favor. According to a study by Best Colleges, the acceptance rate at Harvard for recruited athletes is 83%, while the acceptance rate for regular students is about 4.3%. 

While college sports do offer a ladder to the top for those in lower income brackets, these are only for students in accessible sports, such as basketball and football. 

However, overall college sports have made colleges less diverse, not more. While Harvard has both a football and basketball team, it also counts 40 other sports teams in its midst. While these sports get attention from several and get money from thousands of organizations, sports like crew, squash, lacrosse, fencing, and water polo that are largely made up of wealthy white students that fly under the radar. Athletes take up approximately ⅕ of the class of Harvard, who are majority white and upper class. 

This system flies in the face of colleges who commit themselves to supporting low-income and marginalized students, as well as regular students who worked their way into top universities. Some have even compared this system to affirmative action for the rich and privileged. 

This summer, the Supreme Court of the United States made the controversial decision to reverse affirmative action at universities by claiming this actually promoted equality in the college admissions process. The demographics of college sports prove that if schools truly want to commit to equality in the application process and not uplift any demographic over another, they should focus on secret systems of affirmative action that benefit the white and wealthy.