High school sports teams start practices soon in what has been an extremely hot summer in much of the country. Now, before they hit the field, is the time for athletes to start slowly and safely building up strength and stamina. Studies have found that the greatest risk of heat illness occurs in the first two weeks of team […] … learn more→

As part of a US$2.75 billion class action settlement struck in May 2024 between former student-athletes and several dozen universities involved in big-time sports, schools will be allowed to pay future players with something more than scholarships. They can give them cash. That’s about all we know. The rest is uncharted territory. There are many […] … learn more→

Though the college career of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark ended with a disappointing loss, the point guard’s record-breaking season helped fuel widespread interest in this year’s NCAA women’s college basketball tournament. The women’s Final Four garnered higher television ratings than the men’s Final Four. Then the women’s basketball championship game between South Carolina and Iowa didn’t just draw in more viewers (18.9 […] … learn more→

Ever since July 1, 2021, student-athletes have been able to pursue endorsement deals. But when it comes to getting paid by the universities for which they play, the students have been shut down. Here, Cyntrice Thomas, a professor of sport management at the University of Florida, answers questions about the hurdles that stand in the way […] … learn more→

When a young athlete is drafted into the NBA – as 58 players are expected to be on Thursday, June 22, 2023 – it is often seen as a life-changing event. The money makes it so. Salaries for first-round draft picks this year are projected to range from about $2.4 million at the low end to $12 million at the very […] … learn more→

When March Madness begins on March 14, 2023, it’s a sure bet that millions of Americans will be making wagers on the annual college basketball tournament. The American Gaming Association estimates that in 2022, 45 million people – or more than 17% of American adults – planned to wager US$3.1 billion on the NCAA tournament. That makes it one of […] … learn more→

When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Jan. 3, 2022, NFL football game, much of the public attention was on the pressures athletes face to perform despite the perils they face on the field. However, as a scholar who specializes in youth sports, I have found that this pressure often begins well before a […] … learn more→

When people talk about how college athletes can now get paid from their name, image and likeness – more commonly referred to as “NIL” – the focus is often on players at schools with big-time sports programs. This makes sense given the sheer size of some of the NIL deals that have been scored as […] … learn more→

A coat hanger. A broomstick. A pool cue. All these objects were used in a series of sexual assaults in recent years in which the perpetrators allegedly targeted high school boys who play sports. The perpetrators always had easy access to their alleged victims. That’s because they were teammates. In the world of education, sexual […] … learn more→

The Supreme Court has consistently banned school-sponsored prayer in public K-12 schools, whether at the start of the school day, during graduation ceremonies or before football games. Under the Equal Access Act, the Supreme Court has affirmed that students may organize prayer and Bible study clubs during non-instructional hours. Even so, school staff and outside adults may not actively participate. Lower courts […] … learn more→