“I Didn't Come Here to Make Money”: Exploring Power 4 Athletes’ Perceptions of Exploitation

While it is widely noted that athletes competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics are exploited in a variety of ways, scholarly examinations of college athlete exploitation have rarely sought to engage athletes themselves. Accordingly, researchers conducted in-depth, detailed, semi-structured interviews with college athletes currently competing in Power 4 conferences to uncover their perceptions of exploitation based on their lived experiences. Ten athletes representing five distinct sports (baseball, football, gymnastics, softball, and track and field) competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, and Southeastern Conference agreed to participate in the study. Findings indicate the characteristics of participants’ experiences informed whether they felt exploited economically or by their coach(es), institution, conference, or the NCAA. Corresponding to the findings of this exploratory study, the researchers engage in a discussion regarding the viability of mobilizing athletes to collectively assemble and unionize if college athletes themselves remain oblivious to exploitative practices taking place within the system they live, work, and play.