ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ

Spring 2026: Sports Policy

By: Lila Miller, Audrey Nott, and Winter Oaster

Despite decades of progress in gender equity legislation in sports, inequities still persist due to uneven media coverage and significant salary discrepancies. In 2019, women’s sports accounted for only 5.4% of total sports media coverage, a modest increase from 5% in 1989 and 5.1% in 1993. Although women’s share of sports coverage roseto 15% in 2023, this figure still remains disproportionately low given that women participate in roughly half of all competitions in the United States. Two foundational gender equity laws, such as Title IX and the Amateur Sports Act, still struggle with implementation and educational gaps to sustain overall effectiveness. Policy interventions, such as gender equity training for coaches and coverage metric disclosures, would strengthen compliance and visibility. Additionally, ensuring that funding allocated to collegiate athletes is distributed equally and in compliance with Title IX is similarly crucial. Without these deliberate policy recommendations, gender equity in sports will continue to be supported in law but denied in practice.

 

By: Savannah Ginda

Athlete harm within organized sport is often framed as the result of isolated misconduct, yet recurring scandals across doping enforcement, institutional abuse, and recruitment systems reveal deeper structural weaknesses in sport governance. Across these domains, common patterns emerge, including internal investigations, fragmented oversight, and limited athlete participation in decision-making processes. This memo argues that such harms are rooted in institutional design rather than individual failure, as sport organizations frequently operate under self-regulatory models that create conflicts of interest and limit accountability. Drawing on examples from anti-doping systems, abuse reporting failures, and cross-border recruitment practices, this analysis highlights the systemic nature of governance gaps in both global and U.S. sport institutions. Strengthening independent oversight, athlete representation, and whistleblower protections can improve accountability and better safeguard athlete welfare.

 

By: Lily Andresen-Simmons, Alexa Jimeno, and Simone Lewis-Abdeen

The shift toward a pay-to-play model in U.S. youth sports has transformed participation into a system increasingly determined by family income. Rising costs for school athletics, travel teams, and private training have created significant barriers for low-income and marginalized youth, contributing to widening disparities in access and participation. As a result, children from higher-income families participate in sports at substantially higher rates than their lower-income peers.
These inequities extend beyond athletics, affecting public health, mental well-being, and social mobility. Youth sports are linked to improved physical health, stronger academic outcomes, and reduced rates of anxiety and depression, yet these benefits are becoming less accessible. At the same time, the growing reliance on elite travel teams for collegiate recruitment limits scholarship opportunities for students who cannot afford these pathways.
This policy brief examines the impacts of the pay-to-play model and proposes solutions to expand equitable access, including public–private funding partnerships, increased school-based recruitment support, and greater investment in community recreation programs. Together, these strategies aim to restore youth sports as an inclusive pathway to health, development, and opportunity.

 

By: Ryan McCaskill-Schock and Katie Wolter

Youth sports are a major part of childhood in the United States, with about 27 million kids participating each year. While sports provide many benefits, they also comes with risks—especially head injuries like concussions. Recently, growing attention has been placed on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a serious brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. Although awareness of these risks has increased, there is still a lack of strong policies protecting athletes. This paper looks at the dangers of head injuries in youth sports and why better protections are needed.

 

By: Ayla Gonzalez, and Isaac Chandler, and Terrence Pittman

As cities and organizations invest heavily in sports venues to drive economic growth, community engagement, and global visibility, the environmental and social costs of traditional infrastructure models are becoming increasingly unsustainable. This policy memo examines how governments, leagues, and private developers can transition toward sustainable sports infrastructure that reduces carbon emissions, minimizes resource consumption, and delivers long-term public value. This memo outlines key challenges, including high construction emissions, energy- intensive operations, underutilization of facilities, and inequitable community impacts. It evaluates emerging best practices such as green building standards, renewable energy integration, circular material use, climate resilient design, and multi-purpose venue planning. Case examples illustrate how leading projects are balancing financial viability with environmental responsibility. Ultimately, this memo argues that sustainable sports infrastructure is not only an environmental imperative but also a strategic investment in resilient, inclusive, and economically sound communities.