Internationalization of Intercollegiate Athletics in NCAA Division I Institutions in the United States

• In Event: Cross-border education and emerging issues: Experiences of students and faculty

Abstract

Purposes:
Increasing number of international student athletes are pursuing both higher education and sports development in this country. Particular support and services offered to international student athletes will affect their recruitment and retention rate, the athletics performance and institution reputation. Efficiently supporting international student athletes could benefit both institutions and their athletics departments. This research looks at the internationalization in higher education from the angle taken from intercollegiate athletics, with the particular focus on the experience of international student athletes in the NCAA Division I institutions in the U.S. Recommendations would also be provided to create enjoyable learning and training environment for international student athletes.

Theoretical framework:
Internationalization in higher education usually focuses on the mobility of students (Leask, 2004). Recruiting international students develops human capital, preparing for talented professionals (Haan & Sherry, 2012). Intercollegiate athletics connects the institutions, students, and communities (Knotaxakis, 2011). Internationalization of intercollegiate athletics will benefit the institution, the athletics and students. Neoliberal globalization breaks the boundaries across countries and attracts outstanding athletes worldwide to the U.S. (Sellar & Gale, 2011). Each year, approximately 3,000 international student athletes join the varsity teams in Division I (Abbey-Pinegar, 2010). Motivations for international student athletes to participate in intercollegiate athletics in the U.S. include financial support, experience of different cultures, better training in universities, and promising future career (Magee and Sugden, 2002).

Research design:
Primary research questions: 1. What are the key aspects of internationalization of intercollegiate athletics in NCAA Division I institutions? 2.What are the key issues or problems during the process of internationalization of intercollegiate athletics in NCAA Division I institutions? 3. What do international student athletes at NCAA Division I institutions value during their intercollegiate athletics experience in the U.S.?

Qualitative methodology would be used to study the phenomenon of internationalization of intercollegiate athletics and related social issues (Creswell, 1998). Purposeful sampling will be used to select institutions (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2007). Each selected institution and its athletics department will be analyzed case-by-case, while cross-case analysis will be applied for the comparison among those selected institutions and athletics departments. Twelve international student athletes from selected institutions would be interviewed for deep analysis, achieving saturation (Sandelowski, 1995) (Morgan, 1997).

Data Collection and Analytical Methods:
The NCAA websites will be analyzed regarding intercollegiate athletic rules and regulation. Websites of selected institutions will be reviewed for internationalization at institutional level. Websites of the athletic departments of selected institutions will be looked over for services and resources provided to international student athletes, including academic and eligibility support, services for maintaining legal immigration status, and career development. Team rosters of selected institutions will be used for calculating the number of international student athletes. Team rankings will also be collected.

Results:
Key aspects of internationalization of intercollegiate athletics in NCAA Division I institutions would be identified. During the internationalization, international student athletes face various issues that affect their experiences and satisfaction. Meeting eligibility requirement is the top priority for international student athletes. When adjusting to the college life in the U.S., international student athletes may not improve their performance as quickly as expected. It may be more difficult for international student athletes to apply for financial aids than domestic students. International student athletes with no financial assistance would be less satisfied than those who have (Trendafilova, Hardin, & Kim, 2010). Challenges also exist regarding health care and insurance for international student athletes.

Significance of the study:
This research study will fill the literature gap regarding internationalization in intercollegiate athletics, focusing on the experience of international student athletes in both academic and athletics. The support and services that international student athletes receive will significantly affect the satisfaction of international student athletes with the institutions and the athletics departments (Trendafilova, Hardin, & Kim, 2010). The more satisfied international students are, the more likely they would like to stay in the institutions and represent their teams.
With the practical recommendations addressed in this research study, particular training strategies and supportive approaches could be developed for international student athletes. It is important to ensure that the campus environment is favorable to international athletes’ learning and performance (Wang, Callahan, & Goldfine, 2001). Providing the best possible environment to achieve high level of satisfaction ultimately will lead to a better performance on and off the field (Zhang, DeMichele & Connaughton, 2004). With the specific guidance, international student athletes could make full use of the support and services provided.

Author

• Ye Hong, Ohio University