Intercollegiate Athletics: Back to the Future?

Abstract

Calls for reform in intercollegiate athletics have grown increasingly louder in recent years. As a result, athletic directors are forced to deal with a myriad of significant issues and events that are changing the landscape of college sports. The pace and scope of the “reform movement” in college sports will certainly result in significant changes.

This study examines current and future trends in college sports. A modified Delphi Technique was utilized to determine the likelihood of a series of events occurring between 1990 and 2010. A panel of experts (Division I-A athletic directors) was randomly selected to forecast the DATE when these events would occur, their IMPACT, and the DESIRABILITY of their occurrence. Results of the study indicate a mixed future for college sport, as the experts endorsed many changes regarding certain issues while maintaining the status quo on others. Although these issues will dominate the future NCAA agenda, it is unclear at this point just how close intercollegiate athletics will decide to return to the basic premises of amateurism, sportsmanship, and purity of competition.