Black Male Student-Athletes as NCAA Commodities

The purpose of this paper is to examine the commodification of the black male body by the NCAA. Throughout history the NCAA has earned lucrative amounts of money from its student-athletes. Black male student-athletes have helped to generate the most revenue for Universities by excelling in basketball and football. The NCAA treats black student-athletes as commodities. The athletic abilities of these young men excite fans and provide universities with means to gain ticket sale, endorsements, and donations. The media distracts from and helps this commodification by saturating the public with images glamorizing the lives of black professional athletes. However, the black male student-athletes are not a part of this reality perpetuated by the media. The pressure and desire for these athletes to succeed negatively impacts their ability to fully experience college, immerse themselves in their studies, and prepare for careers and life beyond professional sports. On the contrary, they often feel like outsiders on their college campuses. The research for this paper includes an analysis of books, journal entries, websites and film. It also includes first-hand accounts from current and former black male student-athletes from a Division I University. This research shows that there is a serious need for change within the NCAA. The NCAA, media, and society needs to move away from the commodification of black male student athletes and shift to uplifting, educating, and preparing these young men for careers outside of professional sports.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Patterson, Kevin Lewis

• African American

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/57109

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/57109