Ethics-Informed Decision Making and the Return of College Sports amidst COVID-19

Public and private organizational leaders around the country face enormous pressure to “reopen America” although the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of worsening, rather than abating, in many states. Organized sports programs at all levels are grappling with difficult decisions about return to sports policies. Officials in college sports have made decisions varying from cancelling all fall sports to moving forward with the college football season, including plans to have fans in the stands. Purported rationales behind these widely varying decisions are not always clear, and some athletes have already suffered negative health consequences as a result of their return. The return of college sports amidst COVID-19 is fraught with ethical issues. The proposed project will explore these ethical issues, focusing on college football.