ABSTRACT
Is meaningful reform of big-time college athletics possible? The checkered, often ineffectual history of previous reform efforts is surveyed, as are contemporary proposals such as paying college athletes; the creation of a conference consisting of schools willing to adopt such reform principles as a shortening of season lengths and the curtailment of student fees; federal oversight of scholarship sports; the transitioning of the major conferences into development leagues for professional sports; and a reduction in scholarships, perhaps driven by rule changes such as the encouragement of single-platoon football. Rather than abolish college sports or maintain the current deeply compromised system, this chapter suggests the alternative of club sports, in which the students themselves take a larger management role. Club sports would increase participation levels, provide an outlet for athletes of varying skill levels, and put an end to the corruptive influences of big-time intercollegiate sports on our nation’s colleges and universities.
