Education Through Athletics: An Examination of Academic Courses Designed for NCAA Athletes

Abstract

Fundamental to the union of athletics and the academy is an underlying theoretical premise of education through athletics. Despite an organizational union of varsity athletics and American higher education, athletics is commonly viewed as extracur­ ricular, tangential, or a detractor from the educational mission of the academy, and athletics-centric curricula have historically not been viewed as worthy of academic credit despite documented educational benefits. Through survey of a stratified-random sample of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I, n , and III athletic academic advisors (n = 240), this exploratory study examined the prevalence, design, and institutional perceptions of classes offered exclusively for varsity athletes. Results indicate roughly 1/3 of sample schools facilitate athlete­ centric academic opportunities, with the majority of courses being 1st semester transition, physical education, or leadership courses. Academic opportunities for athletes were greatest in western, public, and Division I institutions. Keywords: education through athletics, athletics in the academy, credit for sport participation, intercollegiate athletics reform, college sport reform F undam ental to the union o f athletics and the academ y is an underlying theoretical prem ise o f education through athletics (Bowen & Levin, 2003; Brand, 2006; W eight, Cooper, & Popp, 2015). In an era o f heightened scrutiny w here the governance structure o f A m erican intercollegiate athletics is being questioned in the courtroom and throughout headlines, it is critical to understand the organizational and philosophical structures that support this system . A s this m anuscript com es to print, the political-educational arena is particularly charged in higher education as governm ental scrutiny and control is increasing w hile funding and support is decreasing (C ullingford & Blew itt, 2013). Sim ultaneously, the landscape o f Weight is with Sport Administration,