Commercialization of Big-Time College Sports: Exploiting Black Athletes

Science Center A154

For many black youth in the United States, playing the game of basketball is not only a form of recreation but also an opportunity to gain fame and financial reward. For the select few that manage to achieve their aspirations, basketball can prove fruitful socially and economically. However, for the overwhelming majority of black youth that do not make it into the professional ranks (e.g., NBA or National Basketball Association), these aspirations often prove poisonous. From my review of the research on the sociology of sport, I show how the current institutional culture and operations of college and professional basketball actually propagates (rather than improves) racial and economic inequality for black males in the United States. In support of my argument, I plan to interview student and professional athletes along with coaches of youth through professional basketball.