Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Twietmeyer, Gregg

Committee Member

Zimmerman, Matthew H.

Committee Member

Lee, Younghan

Committee Member

Knight, Adam C.

Date of Degree

8-9-2019

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Kinesiology

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Kinesiology

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the suggested role of intercollegiate athletics by Myles Brand (2006). His two viewpoints, the Standard View and the Integrated View, raise practical areas for reform in the relationship of athletics and academics. The Standard View “conceives of intercollegiate athletics as an extracurricular activity. In that respect, it resembles participation in student government or protests against the university administration. It has more educational value than fraternity parties but less than the chess club” (p.10). The Integrated View’s defining feature “is that athletic programs are made part of the educational mission of the university. Another feature of the Integrated view is its attempt to dispose of the common academic bias against physical ability” (p.17). Although Randolph Feezell (2015) criticizes Brand’s article and finds his arguments unpersuasive, I argue that Brand is more right than he knew and that the Integrated View, while helping to justify intercollegiate athletics as currently designed, also impacts other departments on campus as well. With this in mind, I believe three important reforms should be enacted in a university based on the implications of Brand’s ideas. First and foremost, “athletics” should be understood broadly as an overarching term that encompasses intercollegiate athletics, recreational sports, games and physical activity. With that in mind, I suggest that universities provide more funding to intramurals and club sports. This money, now provided to the general student population, will be used to eliminate participation fees and improve facilities and equipment. Second, physical activity classes should be a part of the core curriculum for all students. Finally, the organizational structure of intercollegiate athletics must change. If education is key and if the Integrated View should be accepted, then intercollegiate athletics should be scaled back, adopting something similar to the current a Division III model.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/14564

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