Are All Institutions Equal? Comparing NCAA Sanctions Across Division I Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Accepting Responsibility for Illuminating Ethical Tensions and Underlying Assumptions in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Despite the sustained and ever-increasing importance of athletics for higher education organizations we know very little about how this division of the institution impacts the behaviors and policies of the institution as a whole. This paper addresses this gap by evaluating the extent to which athletics sanctions differ across institutions and addresses the implications of these differences. We draw on the literature on institutional stratification and organizational boundaries, as well as the literature on higher education athletics, to understand why sanctions can differ across institutions. Preliminary results suggest notable differences in sanction severity by athletic status with those schools in non-Power 5 conferences receiving the most severe penalties at a higher rate than those in Power 5 Conferences.

Authors

• Sondra Nicole Barringer, Southern Methodist University

• Brett Baker, Southern Methodist University