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As a former mid-major student athlete and current academic, I don’t quite know what to feel re: the covid induced cutting of college sports. 1/n
On the one hand, in times like these, when the choice is cutting a sport, or firing faculty and staff, or slashing funding for academic programs, it feels silly to prioritize the sport. 2/n
On the other hand, sports mean so much to these young 18- 22 year old kids, many of whom worked their whole lives for a collegiate offer. Some might not even have attended college without the allure (or $) of competing on a college team. 3/n
Anyway, I’ve seen a lot of moral absolutism re: decisions surrounding college sports on here, I don’t think that’s the way to go. 4/n
In my opinion, as a 23 yr old PhD student, academics a should be prioritized in a university. But we can’t ignore the fact that cutting sports can also do significant harm to student athletes (and their coaches) that we shouldn’t take lightly. 5/n
This sure as hell wouldn’t have been my opinion at 18, or maybe even at 20. And I can see how many outside of the academy might have a very different perspective here. Let’s refrain from talking down to them or condemning them as simply wrong. 6/6
