College sports are on track to be one of the most profitable areas within the Sports industry in the coming years. Unsurprisingly, there are large swaths of athletes entering in hoping to make a name for themselves, and why wouldn’t they? College sports help get athletes that huge stepping stone into a professional career and help build their brands. Additionally, many college athletes can now get paid through endorsements, sponsorships, and more.
That said, there is a rising conversation concerning how that industry handles their student players, particularly those who come from low-income or minority backgrounds. While white athletes represent around 61% across all NCAA divisions, BIPOC athletes make up 32%, and of those athletes, black players make up 20% of Division I and 19% of Division II rosters.
It’s unsurprising why many athletic programs are quick to cater to minority players, since they have a high likelihood of playing very well. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop the large amount of racism, mismanagement, and exploitation minority players face. For years, minority players have contributed a massive amount of growth in wealth for organizations like the NCAA, and have seen nothing in return.
Additionally, among black populations within college settings, there is a huge academic disparity between white and minority players. Black athletes are heavily encouraged to take less “demanding” majors to focus on sports. Additionally, many youth within minority communities, specifically young men, see sports as the only way to even get a chance at going to college.
However, more recently, many leaders within black communities have called for minority athletes to boycott Southern Universities, accusing them of preying on black and brown athletes to boost their own teams to undermine Black and brown representation in the political field.
Minority athletes shouldn’t feel like they have to be boxed in to pursue sports in higher education. But the college sports industry has a long way to go to untangle the corruption that has tangled within it,
