Overview of: “Assessing the Extent and Sources of NCAA Rule Infractions: A National Self‐Report Study of Student‐Athletes”

Abstract

Research SummaryAlthough the popular and academic media often proclaim that rule violations are widespread in college athletics, research assessing the true prevalence and causes of such infractions is in short supply. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a national survey that asked a random sample of male student‐athletes at Division I basketball and football programs about such infractions (n = 648). The results revealed that although six in ten student‐athletes did not commit any infractions in the recruitment process, seven in ten respondents reported breaking NCAA rules while in college. Most violations, however, were relatively minor and involved amenities that would enhance the student‐athletes’ quality of life (free meals, cash payments less than $20). In contrast, serious violations—such as free cars, substantial financial allocations, and academic fraud—were rare, although they did exist. The multivariate analysis revealed that infractions were higher among student‐athletes who were highly recruited; who associated with fellow athletes that transgressed NCAA rules or saw nothing inappropriate about breaking these regulations; who personally embraced values defining rule violations as acceptable; who did not have close relationships with their parents; and, in particular, who had a general propensity to be involved in deviant behavior. In contrast, infractions were statistically unrelated to a variety of factors, including most notably economic deprivation, organizational context, and threats of sanctions. A potentially disquieting finding is that a quarter of the respondents admitted to gambling on sporting events, with a small percentage reporting placing bets on games in which they played and three respondents stating that they had “received money from a gambler for not playing well.”Policy ImplicationsThe findings suggest that NCAA infractions have diverse causes and are likely to be an ongoing reality of major college athletics. Such infractions are unlikely to be diminished either by proposals to compensate student‐athletes financially or by efforts to punish them more harshly. Instead, a more profitable approach would be to establish programs that (1) intervene with student‐athletes at risk for misconduct and (2) that seek to transform “deviant learning environments” that encourage rule infractions by using positive and innovative means to persuade student‐athletes that NCAA rules are legitimate and should be followed.