College Sports Ethics

Designed to spark necessary conversations about ethics in college sports, this collection focuses on the kinds of ethical concerns that arise at the intersection of athletics and education, such as fairness, athletic excellence, and athlete well-being. The first chapters examine college sports at a systematic level, considering the ways we can evaluate college sport as a whole, as well as how we ought to structure college sports in ways that are fairer and better tests of athletic excellence. The second section looks more closely at the interplay of the academic institutions and athletics, arguing that since college sports programs are part of institutions of higher learning, we need to consider the purposes of these institutions when evaluating college sports. Moreover, the well-being and protection of college athletes is central to an ethically defensible college system. The last section of chapters explores several controversial issues in college sports, including gender inequality and transgender participation.

It is clear that over the coming decade the landscape of college athletics will change dramatically. Moral philosophers will need to pay attention to these changes and examine the justification and consequences of these transformations.

Author Biography

Chad Carlson is professor of kinesiology and director of the Sport Studies Program at Hope College, USA.

Shawn E. Klein is associate teaching professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, USA.