Faculty Perceptions of Division I Male Student-Athletes: The Relationship between Student-Athlete Contact, Athletic Department Involvement, and Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics

Abstract

It has been widely recognized that student-athletes, especially in the sports of men's basketball and football, endure stereotyping (Bowen & Levin, 2003; Simons, Bosworth, Fujita, & Jensen, 2007, Baucom & Lantz, 2001). Although stereotypes about male basketball and football student-athletes academic behaviors are expressed by many sectors of the university community, the resentment most poignantly comes from faculty (Leach & Conners, 1984). The present study examined full-time faculty member's negative stereotypes towards male basketball and football player's. Specifically, this study looked at how faculty stereotypes about male basketball and football player's academic behaviors relate to faculty perceptions about their campus' athletics department, the amount of contact faculty have with male basketball and football student-athletes, and faculty involvement with their athletics department. Over 250 faculty members across eight different departments at four Division I institutions participated in this study. Results indicated that factors such as positive athletic department perceptions, greater contact with male basketball and football student-athletes and greater faculty involvement with their campus athletics department are related to fewer faculty stereotypes about male basketball and football student-athletes.