Civic Engagement and Activism: Do College Students and College Athletes Differ?

This study uses measures from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement to examine rates of volunteerism, use of political voice, and electoral indicators between college students and college student-athletes attending three institutions with Division I athletic programs. Findings illustrate increased volunteer behaviors of athletes, coupled with lower participation in political activities and relatively low interest in electoral practices as compared to college students overall. Student-athlete civic engagement is discussed in the context of previous research indicating student-athlete reluctance to engage in political activism and recent student-athlete activism on issues of student-athlete treatment and welfare.