❗Help close the gap: We still need to raise $40,000 by the end of March. Donate now

Women's soccer is growing globally. U.S. college sports are part of that.

Investment and equality in U.S. college sports has translated to more success for women in soccer around the world.
U.S. colleges have provided women's soccer players from around the world the resources, investment and infrastructure needed for strong development. Pictured: Merel van Dongen (R) of the Netherlands during the 2023 World Cup. She played soccer at the University of Alabama before going on to an international career.

Pay to play: More HBCUs are being paid to take on powerhouse football teams

Oct 12, 2022
Some see this as a long-overdue opportunity. But are historically Black colleges and universities being paid enough?
The FAMU Marching 100 performs at the school's game against Chapel Hill on Aug. 27.
Mitchell Northam

The multibillion-dollar youth sports industry is leaving lots of kids on the sidelines

Aug 23, 2022
In "Take Back the Game," Linda Flanagan looks at how the growing youth sports industry has become a recipe for haves and have-nots.
According to author Linda Flanagan, parents are the main spenders in the youth sports industry. "It goes into travel, to equipment, to team memberships," said Flanagan. "There's an entire world out there that is offering sports options to parents, and they're paying up."
Sarah Reed/Getty Images for FIFA

Student-athlete compensation in focus at Supreme Court

Apr 1, 2021
Meanwhile, March Madness, the NCAA's most profitable event, is in full swing.
Aari McDonald (left) and head coach Adia Barnes of the Arizona Wildcats are showered with confetti after beating the Indiana Hoosiers and advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament.
Elsa/Getty Images

What basketball can teach us about economic mobility

Mar 11, 2021
Ambitions to go pro are often "a metaphor for the elusiveness of the American dream," says "Hoop Dreams" director Steve James.
Success stories for Black athletes "can sometimes hide the fact that for the great majority of people in these communities, the hurdles are so huge that it makes it hard to succeed," "Hoop Dreams" director Steve James says.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images

A conversation with "Hoop Dreams" basketball star, 3 decades later

Mar 11, 2021
William Gates, star of the 1994 documentary, on the economic challenges college athletes face today.
"Hoop Dreams" documents over five years the lives of two high school basketball players from families struggling economically in Chicago as they work toward pro careers.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

College athletics departments cut pay, staff and teams because of COVID

Oct 19, 2020
Colleges in Texas are losing income with postponed games and crowds at lower capacities.
All in all, the University of Texas has cut about 6% from its sports programs.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

With some college sports on hold, an opportunity for esports to thrive

Sep 15, 2020
Schools are trying to get esports programs started during the pandemic.
A student plays at a League of Legends College Championship match in 2017.
Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images

When collegiate sports are sidelined, schools and local economies take a hit

Aug 4, 2020
Competitive athletic programs are vital to collegiate economics, one expert says. Local businesses depend on them, too.
The Virginia Cavaliers celebrate their victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2019 NCAA championship. The men's basketball tournament is the financial engine that drives the NCAA.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

What you need to know about the NCAA and paying student athletes

Nov 13, 2019
This week on "Make Me Smart," we're talking about a longtime controversy that's starting to boil over. Here's a refresher.
The Virginia Cavaliers celebrate with the trophy after their 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images