Perilous games: Gendered moral disengagement, winning culture, and COVID-19 safety in NCAA division I athletics

Abstract

Building on international research, which applies moral disengagement theory in sport, this study examined NCAA Division I coaches’ adherence to COVID-19 safety recommendations in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Medical Sport Playbook. These protocols included social distancing, sanitation, personal protective equipment (PPE), pre-participation exams, and daily screening. Coaches (n = 179) across 29 sports completed a survey regarding compliance with this guidance. The following research questions guided the analysis: RQ1: What is the relationship between win/loss records and compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols? H1: Teams with sustained winning records (≥ 80% win rate) were expected to demonstrate higher compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols. RQ2: What is the relationship between team gender and compliance with these protocols? H2: Women's teams were expected to demonstrate greater compliance with COVID-19 protocols. Guided by Bandura's moral disengagement theory, we explored how competitive pressure and coaching identity may rationalize noncompliance with public health mandates. Regression analyses revealed that teams with higher win rates were significantly less likely to comply with sanitation and daily screening protocols, while women's teams demonstrated significantly greater adherence to social distancing. Compliance with PPE use and pre-participation exams was inconsistent across all teams. Overall, high-performance programs were less likely to follow COVID-19 safety protocols, highlighting the influence of moral disengagement, gendered expectations, and performance culture on health-related decision-making. These findings extend understanding of how performance culture, moral disengagement, and gendered leadership norms influence health compliance in elite sport environments worldwide.