Athletes without Athletics: Reproducing Racialized Inequities in the Absence of Formal Structures

Framed with the tenets of racialized organizations theory and inhabited institutionalism, this qualitative case study of a small, elite college campus compares how athletes and non-athletes experienced campus life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on where meso-level structural forces—or the “lack” of structural forces as caused by COVID-19—interact with individual-level student agency in stratified ways. In-depth interview data and content analysis of official communications show how the structures and culture of NCAA Division III athletics created and reinforced racialized inequities on campus. The data show stark contrasts between athletes (n = 17) and non-athletes (n = 40) with regard to the four tenets of racialized organizations theory. Before the pandemic, allocating disproportionate resources to athletic teams—including space, staff, and support—disproportionately benefited white and wealthy students and led to an increased sense of agency. During the pandemic, access to the physical campus and institutional support for athletics was restricted, but these racialized processes and networks enabled athletes to circumvent formal rules in ways that continued to bolster their agency and access to resources, including robust peer networks and social engagement.