The Ethics Of Today’s College Sports Recruitment Industry

When most people think about college recruiting, they imagine coaches from top-tier teams scouring the nation for the best of the best. Today, the recruitment industry has transformed that narrative. This industry, which brings in tens of millions of dollars a year works more like a sales force charging high school athletes for a spot on the recruiting website and promises to share athlete contact info with coaches.

Few of these recruitment efforts lead to rewards, with only 7% of high school athletes getting spots on college teams. Even fewer can land a sports scholarship.

On this week’s A Public Affair, Sport’s Talk host Jimmie Searfoss and John Lehndorff of Radio Nibbles co-host KGNU’s new call-in sports show, Fairplay. Along with the chair of the University of Colorado’s philosophy department and sports philosophy professor, Garrett Bredeson, they discuss the ethics of the college sports recruitment industry that, according to some, turns student-athletes into products.

The Ethics Of Today’s College Sports Recruitment Industry Alexis Kenyon

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The Ethics Of Today’s College Sports Recruitment Industry Alexis Kenyon

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Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon is an experienced radio reporter with more than 15 years of experience creating compelling, sound-rich radio stories for news outlets across the country. Kenyon has master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism in radio broadcast and photojournalism. She has worked in KGNU's news department since 2021 as a reporter, editor, and daily news producer. In all her work, she strives to produce thought-provoking, trustworthy journalism that makes other people's stories feel personal. In addition to audio production, Kenyon runs KGNU's news internship program and oversees the department's digital engagement.