Academic Attainment and Canadian Intercollegiate Athletics: Temporal Shifts

Abstract

In this study the academic attainment of male and female intercollegiate athletes at a mid-sized Canadian university was examined for varying time periods in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The academic performance of the athletes is compared, in each case, to a sample of non-athletes matched on year of first enrollment, academic program at first enrollment, and gender. On various measures the findings indicate that the student athletes performed increasingly well in comparison to their non-athlete counterparts from time period to time period. This pattern was more marked for females than males. In the 2000s, female athletes graduated successfully more often than female non-athletes and were more often enrolled in Honors programs. Female athletes consistently outperformed male athletes in all three time periods. We conclude by discussing the structure and culture of intercollegiate sport in Canada in order to broach the question of why the intercollegiate sport experience at this Canadian university has not hindered academic success. Comparisons with findings from American studies are ventured to offer a preliminary cross-cultural analysis of American/Canadian differences in intercollegiate sport culture.

Keywords:

• Intercollegiate sport
• academic clustering
• attainment

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Philip G White

Philip White is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. He coaches the sport of rugby at the intercollegiate level, having formerly competed as a varsity athlete in the U.K. and Canada.

William G McTeer

William McTeer is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Ontario. He is a former intercollegiate athlete and coach and has completed various studies involving competitive sport at both the high school and university level.

James E Curtis

James Curtis, now deceased, was a member of the Royal Society of Canada in recognition of his contributions to Canadian Sociology.