Social Death: The COVID-19 "Bubble" and the Experiences of Revenue-Generating College Athletes

• In Event: Collegiate Inequities and Insecurities From COVID-19 and Among Student Athletes

Abstract

Literature about college athletes, particularly those in football and men’s basketball, has noted that this population often feels exploited for the financial benefit of institutional stakeholders. Such insights were particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic as institutions brought athletes back to campuses and forced them to isolate or "bubble," while keeping or sending non-athletes home. Using reflective essays written by football and men's basketball athletes, this study employed social death theory to understand athletes’ loss of identity, social networks, and body disintegration due to their forced bubbling. Results demonstrated that athletes perceived a decrease in their student and social identities, missed connections with non-athlete peers and athletes on other teams, and experienced a lack of body control during the pandemic.

Author

• Molly P. Harry, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
  Presenting Author