ASHE Pre-Conference Forum on College Athletics

November 16, 2022

Humanizing Intercollegiate Athletics in Higher Education

As we convene the forum in 2022, college athletics faces a new era in athlete rights. Pushed by a wave of state laws, universities and the main governing body of intercollegiate sports–the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)–can no longer restrict college athletes’ rights to their Name, Image, and Likeliness (NIL). The recent supreme court decision, Alston v. NCAA, removed restrictions on educational expenses and called for congress to consider passing legislation to pave the way for direct payment for athletes. The National Labor Relations Board reversed its decision to restrict football players’ rights to unionize, signaling an openness to
new claims for revenue athletes to collectively organize. These legal changes coincide with a renewed attention–at TItle IX’s 50th anniversary–to the persistent gender inequalities across college sports. Notably, an intersectional analysis of this law reveals that white, middle-class women remain the primary beneficiaries of Title IX.

The shifting legal landscape of college sports has brought renewed public and political interest to reform university athletic programs. Yet, the pressure facing colleges and universities to create equitable and diverse athletic programs could lead to reactive and short- sided actions, worsening existing crises and exploitation of college athletes.

This session is for:
– Scholars of Higher Education
– Campus Practitioners
– College Athletics Administrators & Staff

Attendees of this session will:
1. Understand how these important legal issues, current college athletics cases and how they apply broadly to higher education
2. Learn how to interpret these decisions for their sociocultural and sociohistorical impact on college students, athletes and campuses.

3. Apply this new understanding to research, teaching, and/or campus policies and decision making in college sports.

Agenda
8:45am  Sign in & Networking

9:00am  Welcome, Introductory Remarks, & Preparation for the day

• Legal Impact Activity
• Break
• Table Discussions, Forum Debrief
• Next Steps & Closing Remarks

12:00pm End Session

The purpose of the ASHE forum on intercollegiate athletics is to bring attendees together in a
discussion on the role of college sports in higher education. Participants in this forum will
examine current topics through the conference theme, build scholarly connections at any stage
of their academic journey, and advance research and policy on college sports within the ASHE
community.

Event Chairs

Jennifer Hoffman
University of Washington
jennilee@uw.edu

Guillermo Ortega
gorte001@ucr.edu

Molly Harry
mh4yf@virgina.edu

Please feel free to reach out to the event chair with questions about the content of the event. Questions about registration or event logistics can be directed to the ASHE Office at (202) 660-4106 or office@ashe.ws.