Branding the role and value of intercollegiate athletics

Abstract

In this paper, I critically examine Myles Brands criticisms of what he calls the Standard View of the role and value of intercollegiate athletics. According to Brand, the Standard View, held by most faculty members, undervalues college sports and should be replaced by the Integrated View that properly stresses the educational value of participating in athletics. I claim that Brands analogical argument has a variety of problems. I show that Brands conclusion, derived from his attempt to compare the experiences of student-musicians and student-athletes is unpersuasive, yet his argument forces us to confront persistent and important questions about liberal arts education and the role and value of the arts, especially music, in higher education.