Zachary LeBlanc argues that the potential for scholarships in Division III athletics poses a threat to the very existence of the level. He worries that scholarships would burden schools with unsustainable athletics costs and remove the purity of the joy that comes from playing DIII sports.
Commentary
OPINION: WNBA gets the ratings win, but loses out on equal treatment
Talbott Chesley PO ’28 argues that the WNBA’s unusual tipoff time reflects a broader pattern of failure in ensuring equality between it and the NBA. In doing so, he highlights both the surging popularity of the WNBA’s closing series and the necessity of ensuring it gets the visibility it needs.
Major league blues, minor league highs
Spencer Thompson PO ’30 spent an entire summer obsessing over Minor League Baseball and quit his job to catch more games. He makes the case that the minor leagues have overtaken Major League Baseball as America’s truest pastime.
The WNBA is in full bloom and roots run closer than you may think
WNBA players’ recent advocacy and negotiations have made headlines, with some critics calling the progress and popularity a modern anomaly. Far from that, Ava Fleisher SC ’28 explores the rich history of women’s basketball at the 5Cs, dating back to Pomona’s groundbreaking 1903 team.
Growing out of the dynasty; saying goodbye to my Warriors-filled childhood
After a full decade of record-setting dominance in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors dynasty is nearing its end. Charlotte Hahm SC ’28 reflects on her memories growing up alongside the team’s break-out years and how her hometown team’s dependable success fueled childlike hope and naivety.
Seminars and scoreboards: David Goldblatt
Pitzer professor David Goldblatt is obsessed with football (soccer). After finishing his undergraduate years at Cambridge University, a young Goldblatt visited a place he hadn’t been since his childhood — a football stadium. This was the spark that ignited his multi-decade tango with the sport, not as a professional athlete but as an author and journalist examining its hidden political and sociological impact.
Get your head in the game: Tennis and anti-perfectionism
For many sports fans around the world, the spectator experience is an added perk to enjoy the players and teams they love. It may even be why one turns on Tennis Channel and re-watches the highlights like Federer vs Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final, or the angry meltdown of Serena Williams in her 2018 U.S. Open Final against Naomi Osaka. However, Katie Fullerton SC ’28 argues that for many tennis fans, watching the sport is more stressful than playing it.
Cram the stands for our DIII athletes!
As a prospective college golfer entering the college application process, Ansley Kang SC ’29 was initially excited to discover Division III schools as an ideal balance between academic focus and athletic performance. Much to her shock, however, DIII athletes are often held to the same standards as Division I athletes, despite much lower student attendance. Kang argues that the reason DIII athletics is often undermined is not a gaping lack of entertainment compared to DI, but because many students don’t care enough to attend a game and see for themselves.
The NCAA has never marched closer to madness
For years, the men’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament — affectionately dubbed March Madness — has lived up to a simple promise: fans can always expect the unexpected. For three weeks every spring, America keeps one eye on the bracket, anticipating the next Cinderella run, the next buzzer‑beater or the next big upset. Talbott Chesley PO ’28 writes that this year, the competition has kept fans on their toes in a truly spectacular and historical fashion.
Seminars and scoreboards: Economics of sports
Few economics electives are as popular as Economics of Sports at Pomona College. This spring, Professor Marisa Cameron, an avid football fan herself, is teaching two sections of the upper-division elective. From using data analytics to calculate player value to learning the history of free agency, students like Tara Kamshad PO ’28 use sports as an accessible gateway to the world of economics.